Cloudbursts struck Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts late Thursday night and early Friday, triggering landslides, sweeping away homes and vehicles, and leaving several people missing, injured, and trapped under debris, officials said.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on X: “A distressing report has been received that due to cloudbursts in the Bareth Dungar Tok area under the Buskedar tehsil of Rudraprayag district and in the Deval area of Chamoli district, some families have been trapped due to debris flow. Relief and rescue operations are underway at a war footing by the local administration; in this regard, I am in constant contact with officials, and have issued necessary instructions to the Disaster Secretary and District Magistrates to ensure the effective conduct of rescue operations. I pray to Baba Kedar for the safe well-being of all.”
In Chamoli’s Mopata village, a house and a cowshed were buried under debris, trapping a couple who remain missing, District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari said. Another couple was rescued in an injured condition. Their cowshed reportedly buried 15 to 20 animals.
In Rudraprayag’s Basukedaar area, incessant rain and landslides have caused heavy damage in more than half a dozen villages.
In Dungar village of Chenagadh, some people are feared missing in landslide debris and floods.
Similar reports have come from Jaula-Bhadeth village, while a house was damaged in Syur village and a parked car was swept away.
Flooding has also been reported in the ravines around Badeth, Bagaddhar, and Taljamani villages.
Authorities said the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers are in spate, with floodwaters blocking the Badrinath highway between Srinagar and Rudraprayag. Roads connecting Sirobagad, Bansawada (Syalsaud), and Kund to Chopta are also obstructed.
Visuals shared by police showed stranded vehicles and gushing rivers, while residents have been urged to evacuate from homes near riverbanks.
“All people living in houses built along the riverbanks, please move to safe locations immediately,” Chamoli Police said in a directive.
Traffic has been halted at multiple points, with pilgrims being diverted through alternative routes.
Rescue teams, police, and security forces remain deployed in affected stretches.
This comes against the backdrop of a devastating monsoon season in Uttarakhand.
On August 5, a flash flood in the Kheer Ganga river demolished nearly half of Dharali, a key stopover on the Gangotri route. Hotels, homestays, and even an army camp at neighbouring Harsil were swept away. A total of 69 people went missing, including nine army personnel, 25 Nepali nationals, and several residents from Uttarakhand and other states.
Meanwhile, heavy rains continue to batter Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The J&K administration has shut schools in the Jammu region till August 30, while in Himachal, over 524 roads, two national highways, and hundreds of power and water supply schemes remain disrupted.
The Indian Army has launched extensive humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations using 12 helicopters to evacuate stranded people and supply food and medical aid across affected regions.
