A cloudburst in the upper catchment of the Kheer Ganga river is widely believed to have triggered the flash flood in Uttarkashi's Dharali, but experts feel the amount of rain the Uttarkashi district received on Tuesday was not enough for it to be termed a "cloudburst".

"Data available with us does not reflect the occurrence of a cloudburst," Rohit Thapliyal, a scientist with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), told PTI.

He said Uttarkashi received only 27 mm of rain on Tuesday, "which is too little for a cloudburst or flash flood of such devastating intensity". Read here

Five people have been confirmed dead and dozens remain missing after a cloudburst triggered flash floods and landslides in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand on Tuesday. The sudden deluge swept through Dharali village near Harsil, washing away homes, hotels, and parts of an army camp.

The affected region lies deep within the Garhwal Himalayas, characterised by mountain slopes, unstable rock formations, and a dense network of glacier-fed rivers. This topography makes areas like Dharali, Harsil, and Gangotri particularly vulnerable to landslides, flash floods, and debris flows. Read here

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday 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.

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 said.

The Army has launched a swift and coordinated Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operation in the wake of a devastating cloudburst near Dharali, close to Harshil in Uttarakhand. The region is currently cut off from both north and south due to multiple road breaches and a collapsed bridge. According to the Army, over 225 Army personnel including infantry and engineering teams are on ground for search, rescue, and relief tasks. Combat engineers have reached Dharali to aid in clearing debris and restoring mobility.

As of 3 pm, 7 teams of the Indian Army are operating with Reeco Radar near Tekla while search and rescue dogs are deployed at Harshil; more are en route from Remount and Veterinary Centres.

A total of 28 people from Kerala who were reported stranded in the aftermath of a cloudburst in Uttarakhand have been confirmed safe. This was confirmed by the Uttarakhand Malayali Samajam president, Dinesh. "The information was verified with the driver of the group besides an official confirmation of their safety has also been received," said Dinesh. Besides, the relatives of the stranded individuals confirmed that the vehicle has been located. This group was found stranded around 4 km away from Gangotri -- the main disaster site.

The mudslide in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district, which razed a village and buried scores of people, may not have been triggered by a cloudburst caused by heavy rain. Several experts have indicated that the area near Dharali village did not receive heavy rain in the hours preceding the calamity. Instead, a glacial pond burst could be behind the deluge that has left five people dead and scores missing, 11 soldiers among them, the experts have said. Read here

A 28-member group of tourists, who are natives of Kerala, has gone missing after a cloudburst triggered massive mudslides in Uttarakhand, family members said on Wednesday.

Of the 28 individuals, 20 are reportedly from Kerala settled in Maharashtra, while the remaining eight are from various districts in Kerala, a relative of one of the couples in the group told the media.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) official rescues a man from flood-hit region in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police has evacuated 100 people so far. Atleast 230 soldiers are engaged in relief and rescue operations following cloudburst and flash flood in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi.

Teams of Army, ITBP, NDRF are involved in relief and rescue operation in Uttarkashi's Dharali. The army is closely observing the devastation with the help of drones so that the people trapped there can be rescued in any way.

A massive cloudburst in Dharali village, Uttarakhand, triggered devastating flash floods that destroyed homes, trees, and vehicles, resulting in at least five deaths and trapping dozens. Rescue efforts face significant challenges due to landslides, bad weather, and continuous rain.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) issues red alert for Uttarakhand amid extensive rescue operations which are underway in the aftermath of the devastating flash floods. Akhil Srivastava, senior scientist, IMD speaks to NDTV and shares his insights.

On February 7, 2021, a massive avalanche, triggered by a break-off from a glacier near Nanda Devi, led to a sudden rise in the Rishiganga and Dhauliganga rivers.

The floodwaters tore through the narrow mountain valleys, obliterating everything in their path, including two major hydropower projects - Rishiganga (13.2 MW) and Tapovan Vishnugad. The disaster killed nearly 200 people, most of whom were workers at the sites.

Initially believed to be caused by a cloudburst, the disaster was later confirmed by scientists to be the result of a rock and ice avalanche.

The 2021 flood showed the risks of building hydropower projects in regions already vulnerable to glacial shifts, landslides, and climate-induced phenomena. It also brought attention to the need for glacier monitoring and disaster-resilient planning.

Back in 2013, between June 15-17, unprecedented rains and a glacial lake outburst at Chorabari Lake (Gandhi Sarovar) triggered one of the most destructive disasters in history. The sudden surge released more than 260 million litres of water, mud, and debris into the Mandakini valley.

An estimated 5,700 to 6,000 people died, while over 1.1 lakh were rescued in one of the country's largest coordinated relief operations. Several towns, roads, and bridges were swept away. Thousands of pilgrims visiting the Kedarnath Temple were caught in the chaos. The temple itself remained intact, protected by a large boulder that diverted the force of the floodwaters.

Years of unregulated construction, widespread deforestation, and the absence of effective early warning systems amplified the destruction.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met MPs from Uttarakhand following cloudburst incident in Uttarkashi on Tuesday afternoon. 

"PM Modi said that the Central Government stands firmly with all the disaster-affected people, including those in Dharali. Furthermore, the Central Government is providing every possible assistance to Uttarakhand to combat and recover from this disaster," Anil Baluni, Member of Parliament from Garhwal, wrote in a post on X.

PM Modi reportedly asked all MPs to stay in contact with the people living in flash flood affected areas and ensure assistance.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Uttarakhand.

People living in Uttarkashi are advised to be cautious and avoid going near rivers. 

The affected region lies deep within the Garhwal Himalayas, characterised by mountain slopes, unstable rock formations, and a dense network of glacier-fed rivers. This topography makes areas like Dharali, Harsil, and Gangotri particularly vulnerable to landslides, flash floods, and debris flows.
Rivers such as the Bhagirathi, Alaknanda, Mandakini, Dhauliganga, and Yamuna crisscross the state through narrow valleys. These rivers, fed by glaciers, swell rapidly during the rainy season due to intense rainfall and glacial melt. Combined with deforestation, road construction, and unregulated development, the natural fragility of the terrain leads to frequent disasters.

Rescuers retrieved one body from the rubble in flood-ravaged Dharali village, as the search for the missing resumed on Wednesday amid rain.

Nearly half of the picturesque Dharali village was ravaged by flash floods on Tuesday afternoon.The village is the main stopover on the way to Gangotri, from where the Ganga originates, and is home to several hotels and home stays.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted an aerial inspection of the disaster-affected area in Uttarkashi. He also held a review of relief and rescue operations with senior administrative officials and army representatives. Chief Minister Dhami instructed to expedite relief efforts.

"Rescue and medical camps have been established in the area, and adequate arrangements for food and essential supplies are being ensured for the affected.Efforts to clear roads, restore mobile connectivity, and ensure the supply of rations and essential medicines are progressing rapidly. Indian Air Force Chinook and MI-17 helicopters are fully prepared to be deployed as needed at the earliest," he wrote in a post on X.

Impact of cloudburst in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district:

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has swung into action in response to the flash flood in Harsil which has isolated the valley from Mainland.

Several helicopters including Mi 17 and ALH Mk-III at Bareilly and An-32s and C-295 at Agra are ready to launch following overnight preparations. Relief and rescue material has been loaded onto helicopters. However, dense fog and rain is restricting flying into the high reaches.

The IAF will launch this joint civil-military operation to address this disaster once the weather permits.

All agencies, including the Indian Army, ITBP, SDRF, NDRF and locals, are involved in the rescue operations. Around 130 people have been rescued so far, said Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami as he reached Dharali village in Uttarkashi to take stock of the situation. 

"Due to bad weather, road connectivity to several areas has cut and bridges have suffered damage. It is becoming difficult to reach to affected people and provide help rescue and relief efforts are underway," he added.

Ten Deputy Superintendent of Police, three Superintendent of Police and 160 other police officials are involved in the rescue operations, said Chief Minister Dhami.

"The Disaster Operations Station in Dehradun is working 24 hours to provide all possible assistance," he added.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reaches Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi. He will visit Dharali village, where the cloudburst incident took place on Tuesday afternoon.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of relief and rescue operations underway in Uttarkashi's Dharali village in a call with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

PM Modi was informed about overnight rescue operations, rescuing of people from the incident site to safe locations, and the availability of essential services and resources, said Chief Minister Dhami.

"I am in constant contact with the team engaged in the rescue operation. I am also heading to Dharali myself to inspect the incident site," Chief Minister Dhami wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Disaster swept through Dharali village in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday after a massive cloudburst triggered flash floods that barrelled through homes, trees and vehicles, trapping dozens of people and leaving at least four dead.

A car, with people trapped inside, was swept away in the devastating flash floods triggered by a powerful cloubdurst in Uttarakhand on Tuesday, showed a dramatic video. "Woh dekho gaadi (See that car)," screamed a man as the car was bobbing away on the muddy sludge, like corks on a wave.

"Aadmi pura bhara hua hai, aadmi hai isme, aadmi hai (The car is filled with people. There are people inside)," said another, as seen on the video.

"Aadmi hai isme (There are people inside)?" asked another.

"Haan, haan aadmi hai (Yes, yes there are people)," responded the first person.

It is not known what happened to the car as the video cuts off after 30 seconds, with the car still being carried away.

With cloudbursts becoming more frequent in Uttarakhand, potentially linked to climate change, experts underscore the need for integrated flood management strategies to enhance resilience, especially in high-altitude villages like Dharali. Himanshu Thakkar of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People emphasised a combination of early warning systems, policies ensuring sufficient river waterways based on current and projected rainfall patterns, and robust monitoring and disaster management systems. "Most importantly, we need independent assessments that will provide information for accountability mechanisms," he said, advocating for post-disaster independent reviews to learn lessons and fix accountability.

While acknowledging the role of climate change, Mr Thakkar cautioned against using it as an excuse for poor governance. "The science of attribution is still being developed and today is not good enough to provide direct attribution. But climate change science tells us that in every such event of intensification of rainfall, there is a footprint of climate change," he said.

"However, climate change should not be used as a carpet under which we can push all kinds of accountability and misgovernance. We know these events are increasingly likely, and we better be prepared for them rather than blaming it on climate change."

"Everything is over" -- a victim is heard saying in one of several disturbing videos which surfaced online after a cloudburst led to flash floods on Tuesday in Himalayan village of Dharali in this district leaving behind a trail of destruction.

After a landslide occurred at Dharali village in Uttarkashi, mudslide and cloudburst hit the Army camp in Harshil. Atleast 11 soldiers are reportedly missing.

Rescue and relief operations are underway at Uttarkashi's Dharali since Tuesday afternoon with 150 army personnel involved, said Colonel Harshvardan, Commanding Officer of 14 RAJRIF, who is leading the operations. 

Army and Airforce helicopters for essential supplies, medicines and evacuation of the marooned are also being coordinated. In the meanwhile, the residents have been moved to higher reaches in view of rising water levels due to incessant rains.

The highway near Nalupani in Uttarkashi has been closed due to a landslide, as a result of which both the NDTV team and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team had to stop.

After Uttarakhand, cloudburst has been reported from Himachal Pradesh, a state which is severely affected by the ongoing monsoon. Since the start of monsoon on June 20, Himachal Pradesh has reported 192 deaths. Along with this, 301 people are reportedly injured and 36 are missing.

Mandi district has reported the maximum number of deaths at 42 and 27 missing persons.

The state has suffered a loss of Rs 1,753 crore so far, in which the Public Works Department has suffered a loss of Rs 888 crore, Jal Shakti Department has suffered a loss of Rs 618 crore and the Electricity Board has suffered a loss of Rs 139 crore.

A 30 meter portion of Gangotri National Highway collapsed in Uttarkashi's Bhatwari due to which the rescue team is unable to move forward.

Rescue teams have to reach Gharavi village, about 50 km away from Bhatwari however due to road collapse, they are not able to move forward. NDTV team walked overnight to reach Bhatwari but is not able to move forward.

A wave of floodwater swept through Uttarakhand's Dharali village on Tuesday afternoon, amid heavy rains, wiping out everything that came in its way.