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 7:40 AM IST
Disturbing visuals from Dharali
Videos from the area showed a torrent of muddy water and silt tearing through the slopes towards settlements along the banks of the river. People could be heard screaming in fear.
In one video, people can be heard in the video gasping for breath and trying to call their relatives in affected areas to find out if they were alright.
A voice is heard in the video saying, “Everything is finished.” In another, a man is seen trying to walk through the slushy waters but being unable to. - 6 Aug 2025 7:31 AM IST
Weather hampers search and rescue operations
Landslides have blocked 163 roads, including five national highways, seven state highways and two border roads across Uttarakhand, further impeding rescue and preventing personnel from getting to the far-flung area, about 140 km from the state capital Dehradun and usually a five-hour drive.
An army team from the nearest location of Harsil was immediately rushed to the spot to launch rescue operations but teams from other places found it difficult to reach due to bad weather and disrupted roads, Suman said.
A 16-member Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) team reached Dharali from its 12th battalion stationed at Matli in Uttarakhand while another unit of the same strength was also asked to rush to the disaster site, officials said.
- 6 Aug 2025 7:28 AM IST
Many feared missing; market, homestays washed away
At least half of Dharali village has been buried under the fast-flowing mudslide of slush, rubble and water, officials said as rescue personnel battled the elements in the ecologically fragile heights to contain the damage.
Contiguous buildings, including three and four-storey houses, fell like a pack of cards as the surging waters washed over them.
Dharali was not the only hit. The raging waters flowed down two different sides of the same hill, one towards Dharali and the other towards the village of Sukki, said state Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman.
There was no official confirmation on the number of people who went missing after the flash flood but it is likely to be high as the sudden rush of floodwaters gave people no time to run towards safety.
Uttarakhand Principal Secretary RK Sudhanshu said 40 to 50 buildings are damaged. He added that helicopters could not be pressed into service either because of bad weather.
As darkness fell, announcements were made asking people to move to safer ground.
Locals said a large portion of the Dharali market was washed away.
Rajesh Panwar, an eyewitness, told news agency PTI that about 20-25 hotels and homestays may have been washed away.
