Tragedy in Uttarakhand: Search Continues for Missing After Devastating Flash Floods

In the aftermath of catastrophic flash floods in Uttarakhand, rescue teams are striving to locate 66 missing persons, including locals and army personnel, as heavy rains hamper their efforts. Amid heartbreaking devastation, only one confirmed fatality has been reported so far.

At least 66 individuals are still unaccounted for a week after severe flash floods struck Uttarakhand, India. An official report indicates that just one body has been recovered, down from an earlier assessment of four fatalities. On August 5, approximately half of Dharali village was engulfed by mudslides fueled by relentless rain, with an army camp nearby also suffering significant damage.

Rescue operations are ongoing, though adverse weather and a blocked highway have complicated efforts to find missing individuals. Officials report that around 1,300 individuals have been rescued since the floods began, particularly in the worst-hit Uttarkashi region.

Intense rainstorms last week caused the Kheerganga river to overflow, unleashing torrents of muddy water that devastated roads, buildings, and local commerce in both Dharali and adjacent Harsil village. Eyewitness videos captured the chaotic deluge, with structures collapsing as the floodwaters swept through the area, offering residents little time to flee.

Initially, Uttarakhand's chief minister and local officials speculated that a cloudburst triggered the deluge, though this has not been corroborated by the India Meteorological Department. To ascertain the precise cause of the disaster, a team of ten geologists has been dispatched to the region.

The floodwaters also created an artificial lake due to mudslides obstructing the Bhagirathi river, which holds significant cultural importance as it ultimately becomes the Ganges. Rescue crews are actively working to drain this lake, which has fluctuated in size due to additional rainfall.

Among those reported missing are 24 Nepalese workers, 14 local residents, nine army personnel, and individuals from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Local sources indicate that the actual number of missing persons may be higher than reported.

To facilitate rescue efforts, helicopters are being deployed to reach the inaccessible areas of Dharali where the roads remain obstructed by debris. Workers have constructed a temporary bridge to ease access, with ongoing efforts to clear the rubble.

Teams equipped with sniffer dogs and heavy machinery are engaged in the painstaking task of digging through debris, particularly around the site of a hotel that was damaged during the floods. According to a rescue operative, the area is being manually excavated using radar technology to locate potential survivors trapped beneath the rubble.

On Monday, a road repair vehicle fell into the swollen river near Kheerganga, leaving its driver missing and the machinery unrecovered. The India Meteorological Department has issued warnings of continued heavy rainfall and thunderstorms affecting several districts in Uttarakhand until August 14.