Dharali, Uttarkashi Cloudburst: 130 Rescued, Several Missing Including 11 Soldiers, Rescue Underway
Indian Air Force Chinook and Mi-17 helicopters are fully prepared to be deployed as needed and at the earliest opportunity.
Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand Cloudburst: 130 Rescued, Several Missing Including 11 Soldiers Latest News
At least five people have been killed in the cloudburst that triggered devastating flash floods in Dharali village on Tuesday, according to a report by Hindustan Times.
Several people, including 11 soldiers, are reported missing. The flash flood washed away homes, shops, cars, trees, hotels, and key infrastructure.
Many houses in the affected area are buried under debris brought by the mudslide triggered by the cloudburst.
The tireless rescue efforts by the Indian Army, in coordination with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire Department, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and local police, have rescued 130 people so far, despite relentless rainfall in the region.
All teams are continuously engaged in relief and rescue operations.
“Additional police and other disaster relief teams have been dispatched to Dharali. Due to highways being blocked at several places, it is taking time for the teams to reach,” Uttarkashi Police said in a social media post.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, after conducting an aerial inspection of the disaster-affected area in Uttarkashi on Wednesday morning, confirmed that 130 people were rescued the previous day.
"All our agencies, including the Indian Army, ITBP, SDRF, NDRF, and locals, are involved in the rescue work. A search and rescue operation is underway. Due to damage to the roads and a bridge, it has become difficult to reach the affected site. The Disaster Operations Station in Dehradun is working 24 hours to provide all possible assistance. We are putting in every effort to rescue everyone safely. I want to thank PM Modi for providing every possible assistance. PM Modi also took updates on the rescue operations today," the Chief Minister said.
He inspected the disaster-affected Dharali area of Uttarkashi and assured that relief and rescue operations are ongoing at a war footing.
The Chief Minister also informed, in a social media post, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been updated about the ongoing relief and rescue operations in Dharali over a phone call on Wednesday morning.
Additionally, the Prime Minister was informed that rescue operations had continued throughout the night and was also briefed on the availability of essential services and resources at the location.
According to the Hindustan Times report, which cites officials, around 20–25 hotels and guesthouses may have been washed away, and large portions of the Dharali market have been “completely swept away.”
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also held a high-level meeting on Wednesday to review the ongoing rescue and relief operations in Uttarkashi’s Dharali village.
In a thorough review of the relief and rescue operations, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has instructed officials to expedite relief efforts, he informed in a social media post, following the meeting.
Rescue and medical camps have been established in the area, and adequate arrangements for food and essential supplies are being ensured for those affected, he assured.
“Efforts to clear roads, restore mobile connectivity, and ensure the supply of rations and essential medicines are progressing rapidly,” he added in the post.
Indian Air Force Chinook and Mi-17 helicopters are fully prepared to be deployed as needed and at the earliest opportunity.
Dhami assured that the government is committed to prioritizing relief operations and ensuring that assistance reaches every affected individual.
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