Days after flash floods hit Uttarkashi’s Dharali and Sukhi Top due to two cloudbursts, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has shared satellite images showing the destruction. The before-and-after images reveal how much damage was caused by the sudden floods.
Officials said at least four people have died that hit the ecologically fragile area on Tuesday afternoon. Two bodies were found on Wednesday, but it’s unclear if they are part of the four deaths reported earlier.
The Army said 50 civilians and nine of its personnel, including a JCO, are still missing. Eyewitnesses fear the actual number of missing people could be higher.
Rescue efforts picked up on Thursday as weather improved. Over 270 people were airlifted from remote areas using IAF helicopters like Chinook and Mi-17.
The ISRO used images from its Cartosat-2S satellite taken on June 13, 2024, and August 7, 2025, to study the changes. The latest image shows a large, fan-shaped spread of debris and mud, about 20 hectares in size, where the Kheer Gad and Bhagirathi rivers meet. This deposit likely covered a large part of the village, burying buildings under mud and debris.
The flash floods also dramatically changed the landscape, river channels look much wider now, and the river’s shape has clearly changed, showing the power and sudden impact of the flash flood.
Many buildings and structures in the floodplain are either partly or completely submerged, some seem to have vanished entirely from where they once stood.
"The satellite images would help the ongoing search & rescue operations to reach out to stranded individuals and restore connectivity to the isolated region, the ISRO said.
“The event highlights increasing vulnerability of Himalayan settlements to disasters. Scientific analysis is being carried out to ascertain the cause of the triggering event,” it added.
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