Google Earth Captures The Uttarakhand Flash Flood Devastation

At least four people have died and several are feared trapped under debris after a powerful cloudburst struck the Dharali area near Harshil in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district on Tuesday afternoon, triggering flash floods and landslides that caused widespread destruction in the region.

The landslide occurred around 1:45 pm near Dharali village, just 4 km from the Indian Army camp at Harshil. 

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

There was panic in villages in the area with people scrambling for dry ground. Videos from the area showed a torrent of water rushing down. People could be heard screaming in panic.

🚨 "𝗦𝘄𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁." 🪖

📍Kheer Gad, Dharali Village | Uttarkashi | 1345 Hrs, 05 Aug 2025

A massive mudslide struck #Dharali village in the #KheerGad area near Harsil, triggering sudden flow of debris and water through the… pic.twitter.com/FwPPMrIpqu

— SuryaCommand_IA (@suryacommand) August 5, 2025

The Army said its first teams had reached the town.

"A massive mudslide struck Dharali... triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement," said the Army.

"The situation is under continuous monitoring, and the Indian Army remains fully committed to providing all possible assistance to the affected civilians," it added.

Following the sudden surge in water levels, especially in Kheer Gadh near Dharali, large-scale damage was reported in the local market area, prompting an immediate response from the police, fire department, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the Indian Army.

"Due to the rising water levels in Kheer Gadh in Dharali, Uttarkashi, reports of damage have been received in the Dharali market area. Police, Fire department, SDRF and Army, along with other disaster relief and rescue teams, are engaged in relief and rescue operations at the scene," Uttarakhand Police stated in a public advisory.

Videos from the area showed a torrent of muddy water and silt rushing down the slopes towards settlements along the banks of the river.

Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami said that the rescue teams had been deployed "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," Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami said in a post on X.

"I am in constant contact with senior officials, and the situation is being closely monitored. I pray to God for everyone's safety," the Chief Minister added.

Authorities have urged locals to maintain a safe distance from the riverbanks and ensure the safety of children and livestock.

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.