Uttarakhand cloudburst: 5 dead, damaged homes, vehicles swept away; IMD issues red alert | Delhi News
NEW DELHI: Heavy rains and cloudbursts have triggered landslides across several districts of Uttarakhand, leaving at least five people dead and three others missing, officials have said. Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri, and Bageshwar districts were among the worst affected as overnight rainfall damaged homes, swept away vehicles, and submerged farmland. The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) said in Bageshwar district, nearly six houses in Pausari Gram Panchayat were destroyed, killing two people and leaving three others missing. In Chamoli’s Mopata village, a house and cowshed were buried under debris, killing a couple and injuring another. In Rudraprayag district, landslides have caused heavy damage to more than half a dozen villages. Around 30-40 families are reported trapped in Taljaman village, while four locals and four Nepali workers were trapped under debris in Chenagad. Broken roads at multiple locations are slowing rescue operations.Rescue teams from the NDRF, SDRF, DDRF, and local police have been deployed across the affected districts. Continuous rainfall has swollen rivers, including the Alaknanda, Mandakini, Balganga, Dharmganga and Bhilangana, raising fears of further flooding. Authorities have advised residents living near riverbanks to stay alert. Several highways, including stretches of the Badrinath and Kedarnath routes, have been blocked due to debris, affecting pilgrim traffic. Officials urged travellers to check road conditions before setting out. The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for Bageshwar, Chamoli, Dehradun, and Rudraprayag, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours, while an orange alert covers Champawat, Haridwar, Pithoragarh, Udham Singh Nagar and Uttarkashi. Uttarakhand has already been hit hard this monsoon. A flash flood on 5 August in the Kheer Ganga river destroyed nearly half of Dharali, a key stopover en route to Gangotri, affecting hotels, homestays, and an Army camp. At least 69 people remain missing from the previous incident, including nine Army personnel, 25 Nepali nationals, and others from across India. Rescue and relief operations continue as authorities warn that more heavy rainfall could exacerbate the situation.
