Uttarakhand flash floods: Multiple cloudbursts leave people running for life; harrowing scenes of destruction emerge | India News

NEW DELHI: Multiple cloudbursts unleashed devastating flash floods in Uttarakhand, sweeping away village and road houses, and forcing people to flee for their lives.At least 4 people died, meanwhile several remain missing. Indian Army personnel remain engaged in rescue operations across Dharali and Sukhi Top area. Harrowing visuals have surfaced, including a striking clip from Dharali showing torrents of water cascading down the hills, washing away everything in their path.Dharali is a key stopover on the route to Gangotri known for its hotels, restaurants, and homestays. It was hit by a devastating flash flood following a cloudburst in the Kheer Ganga river catchment area.A chilling video from the scene showed residents screaming and fleeing as torrents of water ripped through the hillside village. The footage captured the chaos and fear as the surging floodwaters swept away structures and debris, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake.The TOI couldn’t independently verify the video.Another visual showed the Jyotirmath-Malari motor road, which has been completely washed away near Saldhar, cutting off access to several remote areas. The damage severely impacted connectivity, posing challenges for rescue operations and the movement of essential supplies. Landslides have blocked 163 roads across the state, including five national highways, seven state highways, and two border routes, severely disrupting rescue efforts and cutting off access to the remote area, located about 140 km from Dehradun and typically a five-hour drive away.Another footage showed a village submerged by the flash floods. According to state disaster management secretary Vinod Kumar Suman, the raging waters split into two streams, surging down opposite sides of the same hill, one toward Dharali and the other toward Sukki village.Cloudbursts are among the most destructive natural disasters in the Himalayas, bringing intense rainfall over small areas in a short time. Defined by the IMD as rainfall exceeding 100 mm per hour with strong winds and lightning across 20–30 sq km, cloudbursts are part of a broader pattern of extreme weather events in the region. These events, including flash floods and avalanches, are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change.