Rescue operations of flood-hit areas affected after a portion of a road collapsed near Bhatwari, in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, Wednesday, August 6. PTI
Uttarkashi floods: 190 people rescued; 200-member Army team leads massive mission
Indo-Tibetan Border Police says they have rescued 413 pilgrims who were stranded on the Kinner Kailash Yatra route in the state
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday (August ) said 190 people have been rescued from Uttarkashi's Dharali village, which was hit by a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst that struck the upper catchment of the Kheer Ganga river.
Speaking to PTI, the chief minister said plans are being prepared to evacuate the pilgrims stuck in Gangotri Dham through Nelong Valley. "All arrangements have been made and they will be evacuated very soon," he added.
"After the incident which took place yesterday, 190 people have been rescued from there. All of them are safe and are at secure places," he said, adding, "The injured have been admitted to hospitals while some have been sent to the military camps and higher centres." Five people have been killed and several have been injured in the flash flood that hit Dharali on Tuesday.
Dhami said the state government employees are doing their work. "I am also camping here. Till all rescue work is streamlined and they catch speed, I will stay put here and monitor everything," he said.
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) said they have rescued 413 pilgrims who were stranded on the Kinner Kailash Yatra route in the state.
One body was recovered on Wednesday, while bad weather was hampering rescue operations even as an NDRF team reached the site in the evening.
Tonnes of rubble lay on the site with the ITBP, Army and SDRF personnel rummaging through it for those trapped underneath amid continuing rain and road collapses.
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Live Updates
- 6 Aug 2025 9:27 AM IST
Uttarkashi-Harsil road washed out
Due to a cloudburst, the Uttarkashi-Harsil road in Bhatwadi has been completely washed out. The road towards Harsil was completely blocked the entire night. Dharali is 50 km away from here. - 6 Aug 2025 9:21 AM IST
Cloudbursts in 3 places: MP Naresh Bansal
Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal says, "Every year, Uttarakhand faces such...natural incidents. Today, cloudbursts have happened at three places. But the rescue teams are there, rescuing people...Due to the darkness at night, the rescue operation could slow down. But the government is working as much as it can. The Centre is also helping as required...The CM and administration are also working to provide relief work..." - 6 Aug 2025 8:28 AM IST
Updates from CM Dhami
Updates on measures being taken by the state from Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who said “Life of every person is precious for the government”:- SDRF, NDRF, Army and ITBP teams are on the spot.
- 130 people trapped in the affected areas have been taken to safe locations.
- All educational institutions in Dharali and Harshil have been closed and only emergency services have been kept operational.
- Instructions have been given to make immediate arrangements for food, accommodation and medicines for the affected people.
- Additional helicopters are being sought from the Army to pace up rescue operations.
- Officials concerned have been asked to restore the disrupted communication lines in the affected area.
- Senior military officials have been requested to make arrangements to open the lake being formed in Harshil area as soon as possible.
- Indian Air Force has been asked to airlift the affected and send immediate food, medicines and clothes, etc. by MI-17.
- Good alternative arrangements are being made for the stay of those who have become homeless. If hotels have to be acquired, it should be done immediately.
- Availability of beds, blankets and clothes should be ensured. Food packets should be airdropped.
- Three IAS officers, including Additional Secretary Meherban Singh Bisht and Abhishek Rohilla and Gaurav Kumar, who have served as district magistrates in Uttarkashi, made nodal officers for the rescue efforts underway in the affected areas.
- 6 Aug 2025 8:21 AM IST
Messages from UP leaders
Top Uttar Pradesh leaders, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, have expressed concern over the cloudburst in Uttarakhand and prayed for the well-being of the people of the hill state.
“The unfortunate incident of a cloudburst in the Dharali (Uttarkashi) region of Uttarakhand is extremely tragic and heart-wrenching. I pray to Lord Badri Vishal Ji for the well-being of the people affected by this accident,” Adityanath posted on X in Hindi.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said on X, “The devastation that occurred in Dharali, Uttarkashi, is primarily due to the mistreatment of nature by some selfish individuals.
“Our demand is that rescue and relief operations be carried out on a war-footing and every possible effort be made to save people's lives. Every single life is precious,” Yadav said, adding, ‘Environmental protection is the guarantee of life preservation.”
BSP chief Mayawati said the news of widespread destruction, including the collapse of houses and hotels, as well as several people missing due to the cloudburst in the Dharali village of the Uttarkashi district is extremely sad and concerning.
“The central and state governments should promptly take action to provide all possible assistance to the victims and strengthen safety measures in such areas for the future to ensure that loss of life and property in such disasters can certainly be minimised,” Mayawati posted on X.
The Uttar Pradesh unit of Congress also took to social media to express its concern over the situation. “The severe tragedy caused by the cloudburst in Dharali, Uttarakhand, is deeply heart wrenching,” it said on X.
“May God grant peace to the departed souls and a speedy recovery to the injured. Deepest condolences to the grieving families. It is requested from the government that relief and rescue operations be conducted with full urgency and that all possible assistance be provided to the affected families,” the Congress added.
- 6 Aug 2025 8:08 AM IST
Kheer Ganga flash floods grim reminder of similar disasters in region
The trail of death and destruction left behind by the devastating flash floods in Kheer Ganga in Dharali triggered by a cloudburst is a grim reminder of similar disasters witnessed by the hill district over the years.
The massive devastation particularly brought back horrific memories of the 2013 deluge in Kedarnath and the Rishiganga disaster of 2021.
Like the floods in Kedarnath which silenced a place bustling with pilgrims and Rishiganga where a normal day at work turned into a fatal disaster for hundreds of workers of a hydel project, the raging waters of Kheer Ganga following the cloudburst swept away big hotels and houses in Dharali, burying the lively place en route to Gangotri under a mound of debris.
In 1978, a devastating flood occurred due to the formation of a lake in Bhagirathi near Dabrani. It caused significant damage downstream, including the destruction of villages, roads and bridges.
More than 700 people lost their lives in a devastating earthquake in the Uttarkashi district in 1991.
In 2003, several big hotel buildings were razed to the ground due to landslides on Varunavat mountain.
Floods triggered by swollen rivers, Assi Ganga and Bhagirathi rivers, in 2012-13 caused damage in the Assi Ganga valley and Bhatwadi.
In 2019, a cloudburst incident in Arakot Bangan area of the district killed several people and caused damage to buildings and bridges.
Part of an under-construction tunnel in Silkyara collapsed in 2023, leaving 41 labourers trapped inside it for 17 days. However, after a massive rescue operation lasting more than a fortnight they were all miraculously evacuated to safety.
In June 20, 2025, part of a house collapsed due to heavy rains in Mora Tok of Odata killing four members of a family. Later, on June 28, a landslide occurred due to heavy rains near Silai Bend of Barkot killing two workers and seven others went missing.
