Officials say more than 100 people are missing after a cloudburst triggered devastating flash floods in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand.
Rescue operations are under way in Uttarkashi district after a gigantic wave of water gushed down the mountains into Dharali village on Tuesday, submerging roads and buildings in its path.
Some teams of the army have been at Dharali since Tuesday but other disaster response forces and district officials have been unable to reach the area due to damaged roads and heavy rains.
Local media reports say that four people have died, but officials told the BBC they have not recovered any bodies so far.
Heavy rains have been lashing the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand over the past weeks, and Uttarkashi, where Dharali village is located, has been particularly affected, with flooding reported in many places.
Around 130 people have been rescued so far in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told reporters on Wednesday morning.
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 on Tuesday around 13:30 India time (08:00 GMT), causing the Kheerganga river to swell dramatically, sending tonnes of muddy water crashing down the hilly terrain.
Dharali, a popular tourist destination in the summer, is located 2km (1.24 miles) from Harsil, which has a huge Indian army base. A camp of the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police is also located near the area.
At least 10 soldiers stationed at the Harsil base are also missing, officials said.
Rescue operations are progressing at a slow pace as there is a large amount of sludge and debris covering the area.
On Wednesday, heavy and incessant rains continued to lash the region, further complicating rescue efforts. Many routes on the main highway have been closed after they were heavily damaged in the downpour.
Journalist Nitin Ramola, who is based in Uttarkashi, said he had seen gaping, jagged cracks running down many roads in the district. He said he has been trying to reach Dharali since Tuesday afternoon but it was “absolutely impossible” right now because of the weather and damaged roads.
A few teams of the national and state disaster response forces stationed in Gangotri – about 18km from Dharali – have been at the site since Tuesday afternoon, but officials have been unable to contact them because of poor network connectivity and prolonged power outages.
The sludge has also blocked part of the Bhagirathi river – which becomes India’s holiest river Ganges once it travels downstream – forming an artificial lake that has submerged large areas, including a government helipad.
Officials worry that if this water is not drained out quickly, it can pose a serious threat to towns and villages downstream.
Uttarakhand, located in the western Himalayas, is highly vulnerable to flash floods and landslides.
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