Uttarkashi floods: 190 people rescued; 200-member Army team leads massive mission

Army launches HADR operation

The Indian Army said it has launched a swift and coordinated Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operation in the wake of a devastating cloudburst near Dharali. The region is currently cut off from both north and south due to multiple road breaches and a collapsed bridge.

"Over 225 Army personnel, including infantry and engineering teams, are on the ground for search, rescue, and relief tasks. 7 teams are operating with Reeco Radar near Tekla. Search & Rescue Dogs are deployed at Harsil; more en route from Remount and Veterinary Centres," it added.

Rescued people brought to Malti by helicopter

The Indian Army has brought people rescued from Dharali to Malti by helicopter.

A body was recovered and 150 people rescued from the flood-ravaged mountain village of Dharali on Wednesday as the search for the missing continued amid huge challenges, one of them, an incessant rain.

Landslides blocked arterial roads leading up to Dharali where dozens of people were trapped and many homes and cars swept away by the raging waters on Tuesday. Eleven Army personnel from the nearby camp in Harsil were among those missing.

Drones, rescue dogs used to locate stranded civilians: Army

In a statement, the Indian Army said over 70 individuals have been rescued so far, and two additional rescue and relief columns have been mobilised to Gangotri and Dharali.

Earth-moving equipment has ben deployed to open road axis from Harshil to Dharali, it added.

CM Dhami meets locals in Dharali

Uttarakhand CM Dhami visits Dharali (Uttarkashi) to assess the damage caused by flash floods.

Dhami interacted with locals and met with the injured people. He posted in Hindi on X with pictures of his visit.

"Reached Dharali (Uttarkashi) to assess the damage caused by the disaster and reviewed the ongoing rescue operations. During this time, met with local people, elderly women, and the injured to inquire about their well-being. Gave necessary instructions to officials for the proper treatment of the injured. In this hour of crisis, the state government stands with every affected family," the Chief Minister said.

Uttarakhand Flood: CM Dhami Confirms Major Damage in Dharali, 190 Rescued

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has stated that Dharali has suffered extensive damage due to the recent disaster, with debris continuing to pile up in multiple phases since the incident. After visiting the area and speaking with affected residents, he confirmed that the destruction was widespread.

According to the Chief Minister, approximately 190 people had been rescued by army personnel and moved to safer locations by evening. Rescue efforts are ongoing, including the evacuation of injured individuals to Uttarkashi. He added that landslides have severely damaged the connecting road at several points.

The Chief Minister affirmed the government’s full commitment to ensuring necessary arrangements are in place. He also noted that the Prime Minister has pledged full support and that all assistance will be provided under his guidance.

IAF Launches Rescue Ops in Harsil After Flash Flood Cuts Off Valley

The Indian Air Force has initiated relief operations following the flash flood in Harsil, which has left the valley cut off. Mi-17 and ALH Mk-III helicopters stationed in Bareilly have been placed on high alert, while transport aircraft such as the An-32 and C-295 from Agra have arrived in Dehradun to support operations in the affected region. During the night, Air Force stations at Agra and Bareilly were mobilised to load essential supplies and gear up both IAF and Indian Army personnel for the rescue effort. Despite early challenges posed by heavy rain and dense fog, the IAF is making use of a brief improvement in weather conditions to carry out a coordinated civil-military response to the situation.

Politicians grieve loss in Uttarkashi floods, call for national strategy to save mountains

Politicians across party lines on Wednesday expressed grief at the devastation caused by flash floods in Uttarkashi, with a Congress lawmaker claiming that the tragedy was a direct consequence of the widening of roads, done under the Centre's Char Dham Yatra highway project.

One body was retrieved from the rubble in flood-ravaged Dharali village, as the search for several missing resumed on Wednesday amid rain.

Nearly half of the picturesque Dharali village in Uttarkashi was ravaged by flash floods on Tuesday afternoon.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra termed the incident "extremely tragic" and urged for long-term preventive planning.

"Every year, whether it's Himachal, Uttarakhand, or Wayanad, we are witnessing such disasters. We need a comprehensive strategy for prevention. In Wayanad, we saw how the administration and political parties came together to plan early evacuation," she told reporters inside the Parliament complex.

"If we can do it there, why not everywhere?" she added.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said it was time to revive socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia's call to save the Himalayas and its rivers.

"Not just Uttarakhand, but the entire hill region is repeatedly witnessing such large-scale destruction. We all need to come together and work in that direction," he said.

"Heart-wrenching," said Kangana Ranaut, the BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi.

Rescuers retrieve one body in flood-hit Dharali, 150 rescued but many still missing

A body was recovered and 150 people rescued from the flood-ravaged mountain village of Dharali on Wednesday as the search for the missing resumed amid huge challenges on a rain-drenched morning.

Landslides blocked arterial roads leading up to Dharali where dozens of people were trapped and many homes and cars swept away by the raging waters on Tuesday. Eleven Army personnel from the nearby camp in Harsil were among those missing.

The person whose body was retrieved was identified as that of 35-year-old Akash Panwar, the Uttarkashi Disaster Control Room said.

Four people are confirmed killed in the disaster that struck the ecologically fragile area following a cloudburst on Tuesday afternoon. At least half of Dharali was buried under the fast flowing mudslide of slush, rubble and water.

The village is the main stopover on the way to Gangotri, from where the Ganga originates, and is home to several hotels and home stays.

According to Mohsen Shahedi, NDRF deputy inspector general (DIG) operations, three teams of the federal contingency force are enroute to Dharali but have been unable to get there because continuous landslides have blocked the Rishikesh -Uttarkashi highway.

Dharali is about 140 km from Dehradun and usually a five-hour drive.

Uttarkashi floods: 51 tourists from Maharashtra safe, govt working on evacuation

As many as 51 tourists from Maharashtra, stranded in Uttarkashi district, are safe, the state government said on Wednesday, a day after flash floods wreaked havoc in Dharali village in Uttarakhand.

The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) stated that 11 tourists are from the Nanded district, and the remaining 40 are from various other districts of Maharashtra.

The Maharashtra government is coordinating with the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority and the Uttarkashi District Disaster Management Centre to ensure assistance and safe evacuation of the tourists.

Efforts are underway through the Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi to relocate the affected tourists to safer areas, the SEOC stated in a release.

District administrations across Maharashtra have been instructed to stay alert and provide any necessary support. The situation is being closely monitored, and timely updates will be issued as needed, it said.

Information can be sought from SEOC helpline numbers: 9321587143 / 022-22027990 / 022-22794229. The Uttarakhand State Emergency Operations Centre can be contacted on 0135-2710334 / 821, the release said.

Dharali, a popular tourist destination in the summer, is located 2 km from Harsil, which has an Army base. 

Bridge collapses in Uttarkashi, restoration work underway

A section of a bridge has collapsed in Maniri in Uttarkashi on Wednesday (August 6). Government officials said that restoration work is currently underway. A landslide occurred late on Tuesday evening along the railway tracks passing through the Motichur range of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, bringing movement of trains from Haridwar towards Rishikesh and Dehradun to a halt.

A help desk has been set up at Haridwar railway station for passengers