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The Indian Army on Thursday shared an update on the ongoing rescue and relief operations in the cloudburst-hit region of Dharali, near Harsil in Uttarakhand.
In a post on X, the army said that road access remains severely disrupted at several key points including Bartwari, Linchigad, Gangrani, near Harsil and Dharali, with restoration efforts underway.
While the military helipad at Harsil and the civil helipad at Nelong are operational, the civil helipad at Dharali remains non-functional due to a mudslide.
Over 225 Indian Army personnel, including engineers, medical staff and rescue teams, are deployed in the area for rescue and relief operations.
A search radar team has been deployed at Tekla to help locate individuals still missing under the debris caused by the mudslide.
Search and rescue dogs are also being used to aid in locating those unaccounted for.
So far, over 70 civilians have been rescued.
The Indian Army confirmed that evacuation efforts are underway, with critically injured individuals being airlifted to medical facilities in Dehradun and AIIMS, Rishikesh.
Approximately 200 tourists stranded in Gangotri are being provided with medical assistance and food.
The Indian Army, in close coordination with other authorities, continues to ramp up its humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in the affected region.
“Our priority today is to airlift advanced equipment to the spot. Our teams coming with advanced equipment on Wednesday were held up due to blocked roads,” said Arun Mohan Joshi, inspector general of the state disaster response force.
He added that massive mounds of debris, nearly 50 to 60 feet high, have buried large portions of the area and those still missing may be trapped beneath them.
The advanced equipment is expected to aid rescuers in navigating the immense rubble to locate the missing.
Another urgent concern is rescuing pilgrims stranded across various locations due to impassable roads. Their number is estimated to be between 300 and 400, Joshi said.
In addition to locals and tourists, the missing may also include labourers, as several hotels were under construction at the site when the flash floods struck.
