9 Soldiers Feared Missing After Uttarakhand Army Camp Hit By Flash Floods

Nine soldiers are reportedly missing after an army camp in Uttarakhand's Harshil was hit by flash floods on Tuesday.

The cloudburst struck at 1:45 pm near the Dharali village area, just 4 km from the Indian Army camp at Harshil.

"Despite being cut off and the unit base of the unit being adversely affected, and 11 personnel feared missing, the team continues to operate with unwavering determination," read an official update of mudslide relief operations.

"Their grit under extreme adversity reflects the true spirit of the Indian Army,  resilient, selfless and always ready to serve the Nation. In the meantime, additional columns are being moved to be pressed into rescue operations," it said.

Dharali is the main stopover on the way to Gangotri and is home to many hotels, restaurants and homestays. The cloudburst occurred in the catchment area of the Kheer Ganga River, leading to devastating floods, locals said.

Cloudbursts are counted as among the most devastating natural disasters in the Indian Himalayas, causing an enormous amount of rainfall across a limited area within an extremely short span of time.

Within 10 minutes of the incident, the Army mobilised 150 personnel to the disaster site.

Rescue teams immediately began evacuating trapped villagers and providing critical assistance on the ground. 

The rain continued through the afternoon and till evening, hampering rescue efforts.

In a statement, the Army said, "The situation is under continuous monitoring, and the Indian Army remains fully committed to providing all possible assistance to the affected civilians."

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami called the situation "extremely sad and distressing" and said relief operations are underway on a war footing.

"The news of heavy damage caused by a cloudburst in the Dharali (Uttarkashi) region is extremely sad and distressing. SDRF, NDRF, district administration, and other related teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations on a war footing," Mr Dhami said in a post on X.

Uttarakhand Principal Secretary R K Sudhanshu said 40 to 50 buildings are damaged. He added that helicopters could not be pressed into service either because of bad weather.

The Indian Himalayas are considered vulnerable to unusual and extreme weather events, including cloudbursts, extreme precipitation, flash floods, and avalanches, the risk of all of which is said to increase as climate change intensifies.