Uttarkashi disaster: Horrifying videos capture how Dharali village was destroyed in 20 seconds; buildings crumbled like cardboard pieces | Dehradun News
DEHRADUN: Chilling videos purportedly shot by locals from a higher location on the other side of Dharali captured the terrifying moment when a huge wave of water and debris roared through the village, flattening buildings and sweeping away people — all in a matter of few seconds.The clips, now widely circulating on social media platforms, show a wall of slush, boulders and uprooted trees racing downhill and crashing into Dharali’s main market around 1:50 pm on Tuesday.Screams of panic echoed in the air as the horrific scene unfolded. In one of the videos, the person filming the scene, stationed at Mukhba village, can be heard yelling “bhago, bhago” (run, run!) and whistling frantically to alert villagers below.But the warning came too late. Within about 20 seconds, the marketplace was flattened. Houses, shops and guesthouses crumbled like pieces of cardboard. People could be seen fleeing in panic — some sprinting through narrow lanes, others scrambling uphill. At least a dozen individuals appeared to be caught in the torrent, some possibly swept away.What was moments ago a bustling village hub was reduced to rubble. The debris-laden surge eventually merged with the swollen Bhagirathi river, altering the landscape entirely.
Uttarkashi district magistrate Prashant Arya confirmed four deaths so far, though officials fear the toll could be much higher.
Search and rescue operations led by the Army, NDRF and SDRF were ongoing till the time of filing this report, and helicopters had been requisitioned to support the rescue efforts.
