At least four people have died and around 50 people are missing after torrential rains and mudslides engulfed a whole Himalayan village on Tuesday, burying houses, prompting an urgent rescue mission in Dharali in Uttarakhand, according to officials.
Uttarakhand’s Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said operations are being carried out “on a war footing” and that authorities are working with “full vigilance and promptness” to ensure aid reaches the affected.
The Indian Army confirmed that nine soldiers are among the missing. It has deployed additional personnel, tracker dogs, drones, and heavy machinery to accelerate search efforts. Helicopters from the Army and Air Force are also being used to deliver supplies and evacuate stranded villagers.
"The number of missing persons is unknown, however the relief efforts have continued through the night. We are trying to rescue people and take them to safety," Harshavardhan, an army colonel leading rescue efforts, said in an X post shared by the Indian army.
Roads leading to the affected areas have either caved in or blocked by boulders, making access difficult, Prashant Arya, a local official in Uttarkashi, told Reuters.
Around 130 people were rescued by Tuesday night, the chief minister of Uttarakhand state, Pushkar Singh Dhami, told news agency ANI, adding that army helicopters were on standby to provide supplies to those stranded in the affected areas.
Residents were relocated to safer areas. Television images show entire roads and buildings swept away.
Mobile and electricity towers were also washed away in the flood waters, making connectivity difficult, leading authorities to give rescue workers satellite phones.
Minister of State for Defense Sanjay Seth described the situation as serious and reiterated that search and rescue operations remain the government’s top priority.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured the nation that “no stone is being left unturned” in providing relief to those affected.
The village is a popular tourist spot which serves as a pit-stop before climbing to the Hindu pilgrimage town of Gangotri, in Uttarkashi district.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday...
In a workshop in Margilan, in eastern Uzbekistan's Fergana ...
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are m...
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said a Togo-flagged oil tanker was struck while attempting to make an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said early on Friday.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
Three students were killed in a school shooting in the southern Philippines on Friday, including a 16-year-old suspected gunman who turned the gun on himself, provincial officials said.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday. A mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed when a Russian drone strike hit a private home, the emergency service said.
A small container of lunar soil travelled more than 380,000 kilometres from the far side of the Moon to Earth two years ago. It recently made one more journey - from Beijing to Vienna, where China officially handed it over to the United Nations.
Russian authorities have reported attacks on voting systems and communication lines as the country’s parliamentary election entered its second day on Saturday (19 September).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has launched a new eight-nation grouping aimed at boosting trade, energy and security cooperation across central and eastern Europe. Here's what you need to know.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment