Authorities report that 66 people remain missing in Uttarakhand following catastrophic flash floods that struck on August 5. With only one body recovered and rescue operations hampered by adverse weather, efforts to located the missing persons are escalating.
Desperate Search for Missing: Uttarakhand Flash Floods Toll Rises
Desperate Search for Missing: Uttarakhand Flash Floods Toll Rises
One week after devastating flash floods in Uttarakhand, search efforts continue for 66 missing individuals amid ongoing severe weather and hazardous conditions.
In the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, the aftermath of recent flash floods highlights a grim reality—66 individuals are still unaccounted for, a week after the disaster struck on August 5 in the village of Dharali. The authorities have revised the death toll to just one body found, down from four previously reported.
The flooding was triggered by heavy rains that led to a mudslide, submerged much of Dharali, and decimated an army base nearby. Rescue operations are ongoing, but teams face challenges due to unfavorable weather and blocked roads from ongoing mudslides.
The region has experienced weeks of torrential downpours, particularly affecting Uttarkashi. As a result, around 1,300 residents were rescued from homes and surrounding areas near Dharali over the past week. Imagery capturing the devastation shows a massive wave of muddy waters overtaking the landscape, demolishing structures and leaving little time for locals to react.
Initially attributed to a cloudburst, the exact cause of the flash floods remains unverified by India's meteorological authorities. A team of ten geologists has been dispatched to assess the situation in Dharali. Local reports indicate that debris from the swollen Kheerganga river clogged the Bhagirathi river, creating an artificial lake that has submerged significant land, including a government-approved helipad.
Efforts to drain this lake have proven difficult as recent rains have replenished it. According to local official Vinay Shankar Pandey, the missing include 24 Nepalese workers, 14 locals, nine army personnel, and more individuals from the neighboring states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, though locals suggest that the numbers could be much higher.
Rescue teams are currently utilizing helicopters to navigate the dangerous terrain, where debris still impedes access. A temporary bridge has been constructed to aid efforts in clearing the roads. Workers continue to excavate the debris manually, particularly in areas where buildings once stood, relying on radar equipment to locate possible survivors trapped under the rubble.
Meanwhile, adds an on-site rescue worker, challenges arise continually; just this Monday, a road maintenance vehicle was lost to the swollen waters, with its driver presumed missing.
As a forecast of severe thunderstorms looms for Uttarakhand until mid-August, high alerts remain activated across eight districts, leaving the fate of many uncertain as the perilous search for the missing continues.
The flooding was triggered by heavy rains that led to a mudslide, submerged much of Dharali, and decimated an army base nearby. Rescue operations are ongoing, but teams face challenges due to unfavorable weather and blocked roads from ongoing mudslides.
The region has experienced weeks of torrential downpours, particularly affecting Uttarkashi. As a result, around 1,300 residents were rescued from homes and surrounding areas near Dharali over the past week. Imagery capturing the devastation shows a massive wave of muddy waters overtaking the landscape, demolishing structures and leaving little time for locals to react.
Initially attributed to a cloudburst, the exact cause of the flash floods remains unverified by India's meteorological authorities. A team of ten geologists has been dispatched to assess the situation in Dharali. Local reports indicate that debris from the swollen Kheerganga river clogged the Bhagirathi river, creating an artificial lake that has submerged significant land, including a government-approved helipad.
Efforts to drain this lake have proven difficult as recent rains have replenished it. According to local official Vinay Shankar Pandey, the missing include 24 Nepalese workers, 14 locals, nine army personnel, and more individuals from the neighboring states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, though locals suggest that the numbers could be much higher.
Rescue teams are currently utilizing helicopters to navigate the dangerous terrain, where debris still impedes access. A temporary bridge has been constructed to aid efforts in clearing the roads. Workers continue to excavate the debris manually, particularly in areas where buildings once stood, relying on radar equipment to locate possible survivors trapped under the rubble.
Meanwhile, adds an on-site rescue worker, challenges arise continually; just this Monday, a road maintenance vehicle was lost to the swollen waters, with its driver presumed missing.
As a forecast of severe thunderstorms looms for Uttarakhand until mid-August, high alerts remain activated across eight districts, leaving the fate of many uncertain as the perilous search for the missing continues.
