The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert warning for Uttarakhand's Dharali, saying it had recorded "extremely heavy" rainfall of around 21 centimetres.

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.

The UN's World Meteorological Organization said last year that increasingly intense floods and droughts are a "distress signal" of what is to come as climate change makes the planet's water cycle ever more unpredictable.

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

Union Home Minister Amit Shah directed the deployment of rescue teams from both the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to the cloudburst-affected area. Three ITBP teams have already been dispatched, while four NDRF teams are enroute and expected to join the rescue operations shortly.

NDRF told ANI that it's three teams-- one each from Manera, Batkot and Dehradun-- have been dispatched at the cloudburst site in Uttarkashi. "Further, two teams are in readiness at Shashtradhar airstrip for airlift."

Meanwhile, ITBP told ANI that its 16-member team has arrived at the cloudburst site in Uttarkashi to assist in rescue operations, and another team of its 12th Battalion has also been rushed from Matli in Uttarakhand.

More footage from the horrific flash flood and landslide that hit Dharali village near Harsil, India
Half the village was swept away https://t.co/NKMRH9a8uz pic.twitter.com/ThNZxo66ya

— RT (@RT_com) August 5, 2025

Indian Army's Central Command shared visuals of a mudslide near Harsil in Uttarakhand, which showed houses being buried under a surge of mud.

🚨 "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

A devastating cloudburst struck the Dharali area near Harsil in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district, triggering flash floods and landslides that caused widespread destruction in the region.

Within 10 minutes, the Indian Army mounted a prompt and large-scale rescue operation to assist the affected civilians, sending 150 personnel to the disaster site.

Rescue teams immediately began evacuating trapped villagers and providing critical assistance on the ground. The injured were promptly transported to the Army's medical facility in Harshil for urgent treatment.

1. Another cloudburst has been reported near Dharali, this time in a forested area in Sukhi Top.

2. The Jyotirmath-Malari road has been washed out near Saldhar. Travellers and local residents have been requested to avoid unnecessary travel.

As floods continue to wreak havoc in Uttarakhand, the government has issued the following helpline numbers:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences for the lives lost in the Uttarakhand flash floods, while assuring that rescue and relief teams are working to assist people.

उत्तरकाशी के धराली में हुई इस त्रासदी से प्रभावित लोगों के प्रति मैं अपनी संवेदना व्यक्त करता हूं। इसके साथ ही सभी पीड़ितों की कुशलता की कामना करता हूं। मुख्यमंत्री पुष्कर धामी जी से बात कर मैंने हालात की जानकारी ली है। राज्य सरकार की निगरानी में राहत और बचाव की टीमें हरसंभव…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 5, 2025

A cloudburst led to flash floods in the high altitude villages of Dharali on the way to Gangotri on Tuesday with several houses damaged or swept away in the raging waters and at least four people killed.

Dharali is the main stopover on way to Gangotri and home to many hotels, restaurants and home stays. The devastating flashflood came in the wake of a cloudburst somewhere in the catchment area of the Kheer Ganga river, locals said.

"Spoke with the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand regarding the flash flood incident in Dharali (Uttarkashi) to gather information about the event. Three nearby ITBP teams have been sent there, and four NDRF teams have also been dispatched to the site, which will soon arrive and engage in rescue operations," Amit Shah posted on X.

The Army has reached the Dharali area near Harsil in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district to carry out rescue operations after a devastating cloudburst washed away an entire village. Several villagers were reported missing following the sudden surge in water levels in Kheer Gadh."A massive mudslide struck Dharali village in the Kheer Gadh area near Harsil, triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement," Surya Command of the Indian Army said in a post on X.

Army personnel involved in rescue operations in Uttarakhand 

A video has gone viral showing several houses being swept away in the raging waters. The cloudburst took place in the catchment area of the Kheer Ganga river, leading to the devastating floods, locals said.

A cloudburst has led to flash floods in the high altitude villages of Dharali in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district, with at least 50 people feared missing.