NDTV Ground Report From Uttarakhand Army Camp Where 9 Are Missing

Broken asbestos sheets, upturned cars, boulders all around present the grim picture of an Army camp devastated by the Uttarakhand flash floods.

Two cloudbursts on Tuesday that led to flash floods - one in Dharali and another in the Sukhi Top area near Dharali caused widespread destruction.

Dharali is just 4 km from the Indian Army camp at Harshil, which remains cut off due to multiple landslides and road breaches.

As rescue operations in the flash floods-ravaged Uttarkashi entered the third day on Thursday, the Army said 70 people have been rescued so far and more than 50 are missing.

Nine Army personnel -- one junior commissioned officer and eight jawans -- are also reported missing, it said.

According to officials, at least four people have been killed in the disaster.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to carry out relief and rescue operations in disaster-hit areas of Uttarkashi.

The state has been witnessing heavy monsoon-triggered disruptions, especially in its higher-altitude regions, prompting large-scale evacuation and relief operations led by multiple agencies.

According to the Uttarakhand Police, the people rescued under the Uttarkashi Disaster Relief Operation were brought from Harshil to Jollygrant Airport, Dehradun, on Thursday by a Chinook helicopter. Medical check-ups are being conducted for all the evacuees at the airport.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited Pauri Garhwal today to meet those who were rescued from disaster-hit areas of the district.

"190 people were rescued immediately on the same day... So far, 274 people have been rescued... Food supplies are being sent there... Army personnel are engaged in rescue operations...," the Chief Minister said today.

The state government has urged people to avoid travel to sensitive zones and is closely monitoring dam levels to prevent further escalation.

The hill state's fragile terrain has further intensified the crisis, with the Alaknanda, Mandakini, and Ganga rivers flowing above danger levels.

Deadly floods and landslides are common during the monsoon season from June to September, but experts say climate change, coupled with urbanisation, is increasing their frequency and severity.

Torrential monsoon rains have hampered rescue efforts, with communication limited and phone lines damaged.