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.
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