Rescue operations continued on Wednesday in flood-hit Dharali village in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district after devastating flash floods and landslides swept away homes, vehicles, and left dozens missing the previous day.
Two bodies were recovered on Wednesday and around 150 people have been rescued so far, with search efforts hampered by persistent rain and blocked roads. Around 60 others are still missing, officials say.
The body was identified as that of 35-year-old Akash Panwar, officials at the Uttarkashi Disaster Control Room confirmed. The disaster was triggered by what authorities described as a cloudburst on Tuesday afternoon, burying nearly half of Dharali under a massive mudslide comprised of slush, debris, and water.
Tourists, Army personnel go missing
Among those missing are 11 Army personnel from the nearby Harsil camp and a 28-member tourist group, primarily from Kerala and Maharashtra. A relative of one of the missing tourists said, “They said they were leaving from Uttarkashi to Gangotri at around 8.30 am that day (Tuesday). The landslides occurred along that route. We have been unable to contact them since they left.”
The group was part of a 10-day Uttarakhand tour arranged by a Haridwar-based travel agency. According to family members, no contact has been established since Tuesday, likely due to the lack of mobile network and dead phone batteries in the region.
The Uttarakhand State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) confirmed that 51 tourists from Maharashtra stranded in the district were safe. Eleven of them are from Nanded, while the rest hail from various other districts. The Maharashtra government is coordinating with SEOC and the Uttarkashi Disaster Management Centre for their safe evacuation, also utilising support through Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi.
The flash floods struck Dharali, a key tourist destination and stopover en route to Gangotri, where the Ganga originates. The village, located about 140 km from Dehradun, is home to several hotels and homestays. Many tourists had gathered for the Har Dudh fair when the disaster hit.
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Rescue operations continue
Deputy Inspector General of NDRF Operations Mohsen Shahedi stated that three NDRF teams are en route to Dharali, though landslides have blocked the Rishikesh-Uttarkashi highway, preventing their arrival. Two more teams stationed in Dehradun are awaiting favourable weather to be airlifted. Meanwhile, over 100 personnel from the ITBP, BRO, and SDRF are actively engaged in operations.
Col Harshvardhan, Commanding Officer of 14 Rajputana Rifles, is leading a 150-member relief team despite their own camp being affected and personnel missing. “The team is working with full courage and determination,” Defence Spokesperson Lt Col Manish Shrivastava said.
A bridge over the Limaccha River near Gangnani on the Gangotri National Highway was swept away, stranding additional rescue teams. Over 200 personnel are currently stationed at Bhatwari, waiting for the route to clear.
PM, Chief Minister take stock but bad weather slows relief
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday and assured full support from the Centre. Dhami, after surveying Dharali and Harsil by helicopter, met with injured soldiers and families of the missing.
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“The rescue work is apace. Teams from the Army, ITBP, and SDRF have reached the spot… It’s a challenging situation as it is still raining there,” Dhami said. He added that arrangements have been made for medicines and food, and 160 police personnel have been deployed to oversee aid distribution. Three nodal officers from the Chief Minister’s office have been assigned to the area.
“All government agencies, departments, and the Army are working with total coordination. Every life matters to us,” the Chief Minister said, noting that officials have been instructed to remain on high alert round-the-clock.
Helicopters have been kept on standby by the Indian Army, pending clearance from weather conditions.
How is the weather now?
Heavy rain across Uttarakhand has led to many rivers flowing above danger levels, including the Mandakini in Rudraprayag, the Banganga in Haridwar, and the Bhagirathi in Devprayag, as per the Central Water Commission.
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A landslide on Tuesday evening disrupted train services from Haridwar towards Rishikesh and Dehradun after debris fell on railway tracks in the Motichur range of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve. A help desk has been established at Haridwar railway station for passenger assistance.
Dharali, situated just 2 km from Harsil and home to an Army base, remains cut off by road as rescue and relief teams battle harsh weather and landslide-blocked routes in their continued efforts to find the missing and support survivors.
