‘People couldn’t comprehend… were swept away in 15 seconds’: The moment tragedy struck Uttarkashi

The IMD data shows moderate rainfall of 8 mm in Harsil from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm on Tuesday

Dharali saw more people than usual on Tuesday as a festival was being commemorated at Someshwar temple. “People assemble for the mela from across the state. Relatives of the villagers also arrive to attend this. We are not sure if they were in the market when the incident took place,” he said. “The people couldn’t comprehend what was happening. The flood waters struck them in 15 seconds.”

A hotelier from Uttarkashi, Arunav Nautiyal, has not been able to contact his friend Gaurav, who lives in Harsil. “After the Dharali floods, I called him, and he seemed fine. But soon after, the flood struck Harsil as well. I have not been able to talk to him since. It’s been continuously raining today, and no one from Mukhba, Harsil, and Dharali has been able to contact us after evening,” he said, adding that electricity was cut off and a mobile tower was hit by the water.

An affected area following mudslide and flash floods triggered by a cloudburst at Kheer Gad area in Dharali of Uttarkashi. (@suryacommand on X via PTI Photo)

Nautiyal claimed that a cloud burst was unlikely. “It did not rain enough for a cloud burst. Also, after the three flashfloods in Sukhi Top, Harsil, and Dharali, the Bhagirathi has been blocked with debris near the Harsil helipad,” Nautiyal said.

The state government said the floods were due to a cloudburst, though the IMD data shows moderate rainfall of 8 mm in Harsil from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Nautiyal said that a new crop of businesses had just been set up in the town in April, ahead of the tourist season. “Dharali is a stopover for several Char Dham yatris and tourists coming to Harsil. It has several hotels and homestays, catering to yatris. However, the monsoon season sees a lull. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise because had this incident taken place any other month, we would have seen a calamity as big as the Kedarnath floods,” he said.

According to the tourism department, 306 tourists had left for Gangotri from Hina on Tuesday while 250 had gone on Monday. An official in the department said that a few pilgrims stay at Dharali during their pilgrimage. “We do not keep the count of those who left the shrine, but we estimate few tourist casualties,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier this year travelled to Harsil and Mukhba to advocate winter tourism. He flagged off a trek and bike rally at Harsil and visited the winter seat of Gangotri Dham in Mukhba.