The two men barely managed to escape the devastation caused by the cloudburst
- Cloudburst in Uttarkashi's Dharali village caused severe flooding and destruction of property
- Two people managed to make it out on their own after the cloudburst
- Around 20-25 hotels and home stays in Dharali were washed away by the floodwaters
"Bhaag bhai bhaag, arre bhaag bhaag" scream people from a distance as a man hurriedly tries to wade his way through sludge and water that moments earlier flattened Uttarakhand's Dharali village. The video of the incident, recorded minutes after a cloudburst in the Uttarkashi district devastated an entire village in seconds, shows the struggle and escape of two men from the village.
Many weren't this lucky. At least four people died and 50 others are feared trapped in the debris. In visuals that can only be described as horrific, within seconds, most of the village was engulfed in water, sludge and rocks as a massive stream of water gushed after the cloudburst in the catchment area of Kheer Ganga river.
Dharali is the main stopover on way to Gangotri and home to many hotels, restaurants and home stays. At least 20-25 hotels and home stays have been washed away.
Rescue and relief efforts are underway in full force. The Army, which managed to reached the spot in just 10 minutes, is using specialised medical equipment, rescue equipment and doctors. About 20 people have been rescued. Three Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) teams have been dispatched, and four National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are also expected to join the rescue operations.
Brigadier Mandeep Dhillon, Brigade Commander, said, "The Indian Army column located at Harshil Post was the first to respond and reach the village within 10 minutes, and commence rescue operations. The column has about 150 personnel with specialised medical equipment, rescue equipment and doctors and is engaged in rescuing the villagers."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in touch with Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami, said relief and rescue teams are engaged in every possible effort.
"I express my condolences to the people affected by this tragedy in Dharali, Uttarkashi. Along with this, I pray for the well-being of all the victims. I have spoken to Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami ji and obtained information about the situation. Under the supervision of the state government, relief and rescue teams are engaged in every possible effort. No stone is being left unturned in providing assistance to the people," the PM tweeted.
Uttarakhand has been battered by heavy rain this monsoon and the weather office has issued a 'red' alert, warning of extremely heavy rainfall in the hilly state today. A 'yellow' alert has been issued for heavy rainfall throughout the week.
With inputs from agencies
