 "4 dead, houses collapse like deck of cards: How flash floods wreaked havoc in Uttarakhand village")
A massive cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district on Tuesday afternoon triggered flash floods and landslides, causing severe damage in the area.
Four people have died after the flash flood in the high-altitude village of Dharali swept away several houses. Around 100 people are reported missing in the region.
ALSO READ | Why is Uttarakhand uniquely vulnerable to torrential rain?
In the Harsil area of the district, 11 Indian Army personnel were reported missing after another cloudburst caused destructive flash floods.
Horrifying videos of the incident, now circulating on social media, show people running and shouting as floodwaters rushed in behind them, sweeping away buildings.
In this explainer, we look at the destruction caused by the cloudburst and examine the rescue efforts underway in the region.
Let’s break it down:
Uttarkashi cloudburst: A look at the destruction
The cloudburst that struck Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand triggered a mudslide and flash floods in Dharali village. Notably, the village has many hotels, restaurants, and homestays.
Visuals on social media showed houses and other buildings collapsing like a deck of cards and being swept away.
In videos circulating online, locals could be heard shouting warnings to their acquaintances, urging them to run for their lives.
Notably, Dharali is the main stop on the way to Gangotri and has several hotels, homestays, and other establishments.
Reports say the flash floods trapped between 60 and 70 people in Dharali.
Around 100 people were reported missing on Tuesday.
Union Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, told PTI, “…This is a natural calamity. We have received information about four deaths and around 100 people missing. We pray for their safety.”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMeanwhile, 11 Indian Army personnel are missing after an army camp in the Harshil region was hit by flash floods on Tuesday.
In a statement, the Defence PRO said, “Despite being cut off and the unit’s base being adversely affected, and 11 personnel feared missing, the team continues to operate with unwavering determination. In the meantime, additional columns are being moved to be pressed into rescue operations.”
VIDEO | Uttarakhand: Cloudburst causes massive destruction in Dharali Uttarkashi. More details are awaited.#Cloudburst #UttarakhandNews
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 5, 2025
(Source: Third Party)
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/vFx2rEUHvv
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to those affected by the disaster.
Posting on X, PM Modi said, “I express my condolences to the people affected by this tragedy in Dharali, Uttarkashi. Along with this, I pray for the well-being of all the victims. I have spoken to Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami and obtained information about the situation."
“Under the supervision of the state government, relief and rescue teams are engaged in every possible effort. No stone is being left unturned in providing assistance to the people," he added.
In a statement, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami described the situation as “extremely sad and distressing". He added that rescue and relief operations are underway.
“The news of heavy damage caused by a cloudburst in the Dharali (Uttarkashi) region is extremely sad and distressing. SDRF, NDRF, district administration, and other related teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations on a war footing,” he said in a post on X.
Rescue and relief operations underway
The Indian Army was the first to reach the site and began rescue and relief work soon after receiving information about the incident.
Since the Army’s Harshil camp is about four kilometres from the disaster site, nearly 150 personnel arrived quickly and managed to rescue 20 people within 10 minutes.
At several locations, Army personnel used ropes to pull people to safety.
In one of the videos shared by the Indian Army on social media, waves of debris could be seen scattered all around due to the destruction.
🚨 "𝗦𝘄𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁." 🪖
— SuryaCommand_IA (@suryacommand) August 5, 2025
📍Kheer Gad, Dharali Village | Uttarkashi | 1345 Hrs, 05 Aug 2025
A massive mudslide struck #Dharali village in the #KheerGad area near Harsil, triggering sudden flow of debris and water through the… pic.twitter.com/FwPPMrIpqu
Notably, rain continued from the afternoon into the evening, making rescue efforts even more difficult.
The Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are leading the ongoing operations.
Also, Indian Air Force Chinook, Mi-17 V5, ALH, and Cheetah helicopters have been placed on active standby at Chandigarh Air Base. They are expected to be deployed with rescue equipment as soon as the weather improves.
Across the affected areas, several essential services such as electricity and internet remain disrupted.
Government and private schools, including aanganwadis, have been ordered to shut due to the weather and ongoing rescue work.
Why is Uttarakhand so prone to cloudbursts?
Cloudbursts are among the most damaging natural disasters in the Indian Himalayas. They cause heavy rainfall in a small area within a very short time.
The India Meteorological Department defines a cloudburst as rain that falls at a rate of more than 100 millimetres an hour, along with strong winds and lightning, over an area of about 20 to 30 square kilometres.
The Indian Himalayan region is seen as highly exposed to sudden and severe weather changes such as cloudbursts, heavy rainfall, flash floods and avalanches. Experts believe the chances of these events are rising due to climate change.
But why?
A 2023 study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Jammu, and the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, said that extreme weather often affects areas between 1000 and 2000 metres in height. These include many of the populated valleys in the Himalayas.
The study also concluded that Uttarakhand records more cloudbursts in a given area than other Himalayan states, and that recent ones have been stronger and have affected more people.
A 2020 research paper by Sushil Khanduri, a Geologist at the Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre, also said that unusually high rainfall and cloudbursts have long been seen in the region. These often lead to flash floods, landslides and the flow of debris.
Notably, landslides and floods are often reported during the monsoon season between June and September. But experts warn that climate change and growing urban areas are making such events more frequent and more severe.
With inputs from agencies
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