A cloudburst in Tangling village, Kinnaur, caused flashfloods on Wednesday, sweeping boulders and debris rushing down hillsides. The incident damaged the route of the Kinnaur Kailash Yatra. Over 400 stranded pilgrims were rescued by the ITBP teams. The National Highway 35 near Nigulsari has been closed due to continued heavy rainfall and landslides in the region.
In a separate incident, a landslide occurred on the Chandigarh-Shimla National Highway near Chakki Mor in Solan district, which lead to the closure of the highway. The authorities have also confirmed the closure of over 500 roads across the state due to rain-related damage. Schools in Shimla, Mandi, Solan, and Kullu have been closed as a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand was hit by a devastating cloudburst in the Uttarkashi district on Tuesday, causing flashfloods that washed away houses, trees, and cars. Four deaths have been confirmed, and dozens remain trapped.
Officials said the cloudburst occurred around 1:50 am in the Kheer Ganga river’s catchment area. Nearly half of a village was buried under slush, debris, and floodwaters. Videos from the area showed torrents of muddy water and silt rushing down the slopes toward settlements alongside the riverbanks, collapsing multi-storey buildings as residents screamed for help.
Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya confirmed four deaths but said the count of the missing is still being assessed. Dharali was not the only village affected. According to Vinod Kumar Suman, Disaster Management Secretary, the floodwaters came down from both sides of a hill, affecting Dharali and Sukki villages. A red alert remains in place for Uttarkashi.
An army camp in Harsil was also hit by the cloudburst. Eleven Army jawans are reported missing.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force, army, and police are engaged in rescue operations. NDRF teams from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have been airlifted to the state. The state government and district administration have issued helpline numbers: 01374222126, 01374222722, and 9456556431.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday and ordered the deployment of seven rescue teams to the affected areas. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh assured full cooperation from the Central and the state authorities.
Cloudbursts are considered one of the most devastating natural disasters in the Indian Himalayas. According to the IMD, a cloudburst involves over 100 mm of rain falling in an hour over an area of 20–30 sq km, usually accompanied by strong winds and lightning.
Also Read: Uttarakhand floods: Rain alert issued, rescue Ops underway
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