Video: Car, With People Inside, Swept Away In Uttarakhand Flash Flood

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. 

The cloudburst struck the Dharali area near Harshil in Uttarkashi district, triggering flash floods that caused widespread destruction in the region.

"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.

The cloudburst struck at 1:45 pm near the Dharali village area, 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 occurred in the catchment area of the Kheer Ganga River, leading to devastating floods, locals said.

Within ten 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. 

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

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

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.