DOZENS of people are feared trapped after a massive cloudburst triggered flash floods in the northern Indian state of Uttaraki and.
Rescue teams, including army personnel, have reached Dharali village in Uttarkashi district, which is believed to have borne the brunt of the floods.
Videos shared online show a giant wave of water gushing through the area, submerging buildings along the path. A tourist spot, Dharaliis populated with hotels, resorts and restaurants.
A cloudburst is an extreme, sudden downpour of rain over a small area in a short period of time, often leading to flash floods.
It took place at around 13:30 India time [08:00 GMT] when a large amount of water came down, swelling the Kheerganga river and sending tonnes of muddy waters gushing downwards on the hilly terrain, covering roads, buildings and shops in Dharali.
Eyewitnesses from a nearby village who shot the dramatic footage of the muddy water coursing through the streets said the sudden surge did not give people any chance to run away.
The ancient Kalpkedar temple is also covered under the slush and is believe to have been damaged, they added.
“I have been informed about a cloudburst incident in Dharali of Uttarkashi. We are working to rescue the people,” Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told local media.
Prashant Arya, the senior-most official of Uttarkashi, said communication had been erratic because of poor connectivity in the area.
“As it’s a populated area with lots of restaurants and hotels, we’ve dispatched rescue teams to the site,” he said.
Dharali is located 2km from Harsil which is a popular tourist destination and also has a huge Indian army base. A camp of the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Force is located the area.
