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Uttarakhand: Dozens feared trapped as cloudburst triggers flash floods | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Dharali is populated with hotels, resorts and restaurants | |
Dozens of people are feared trapped after a massive cloudburst triggered flash floods in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. | Dozens of people are feared trapped after a massive cloudburst triggered flash floods in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. |
Rescue teams, including army personnel, have reached Dharali village in Uttarkashi district, which is believed to have borne the brunt of the floods. | |
Videos shared online show a giant wave of water gushing through the area, submerging buildings along the path. A tourist spot, Dharali is populated with hotels, resorts and restaurants. | |
A cloudburst is an extreme, sudden downpour of rain over a small area in a short period of time, often leading to flash floods. | |
It took place at around 13:30 India time [08:00 GMT] when a large amount of water came down, swelling the Kheerganga river and sending tonnes of muddy waters gushing downwards on the hilly terrain, covering roads, buildings and shops in Dharali. | |
Eyewitnesses from a nearby village who shot the dramatic footage of the muddy water coursing through the streets said the sudden surge did not give people any chance to run away. | |
They said they believe some people to be trapped under the debris. | |
The ancient Kalpkedar temple is also covered under the slush and is believe to have been damaged, they added. | |
"I have been informed about a cloudburst incident in Dharali of Uttarkashi. We are working to rescue the people," Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told local media. | "I have been informed about a cloudburst incident in Dharali of Uttarkashi. We are working to rescue the people," Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told local media. |
Prashant Arya, the senior-most official of Uttarkashi, said communication had been erratic because of poor connectivity in the area. | |
"As it's a populated area with lots of restaurants and hotels, we've dispatched rescue teams to the site," he said. | "As it's a populated area with lots of restaurants and hotels, we've dispatched rescue teams to the site," he said. |
Dharali is located 2km from Harsil which is a popular tourist destination and also has a huge Indian army base. A camp of the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Force is located the area. | |
Reports say personnel from the army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police have reached the site of the disaster but rescue is expected to be slow because the area is continuing to receive heavy rains. |