Houses being swept away in a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst at Dharali, in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. (PTI Photo)
Uttarkashi Cloudburst News Live Updates: Amid the ongoing disaster response in Uttarkashi, at least 35 people from Harsil were airlifted on an IAF Chinook and have landed at Jolly Grant Airport. Efforts were stepped up Thursday to speed up search for those trapped under rubble and rescue pilgrims stranded at various locations in the district due to blocked roads.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met with people rescued from disaster-affected areas. Since Thursday morning, more than 65 people have been heli-rescued and brought to Matli, Uttarkashi. “Officers have been directed to provide all possible assistance to those living in the affected areas. Essential supplies are being delivered to the affected areas through air services,” he said.
What caused the floods? At least four people died after flash floods and mudslides swept through Dharali village in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, on Tuesday afternoon. According to initial reports, around 40-50 houses were washed away, and more than 50 people are estimated to be missing. Flash floods are not uncommon in the upper hilly areas of Uttarakhand as they are often triggered by a cloudburst. However, a cloudburst, in a technical sense, did not lead to flash floods on Tuesday. The primary reason is the topography of the area, where heavy rainfall often results in landslides, sending mud and concrete into the rivers.
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami reached Sainji village and the disaster-affected areas of the district. He met the locals and assured them of all possible help.
#watch | Pauri Garhwal | Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami reached Sainji village and the disaster-affected areas of the district. He met the locals and assured them of all possible help. pic.twitter.com/wmIR7IerRi
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2025
Drone visuals of the flash-flood affected Dharali village.
SDRF, NDRF, and ITBP personnel are on the ground, rescuing the stranded people.
#watch | Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand | Drone visuals of the flash-flood affected Dharali village. SDRF, NDRF, and ITBP personnel are on the ground, rescuing the stranded people. pic.twitter.com/3AWypvyKyv
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2025
Uttarkashi cloudburst rescue operation: Central Command Chief of Staff Harsil Lt Gen Navin Sachdeva, addressed a press conference.
"Despite adverse weather and inhospitable terrain, in complete synergy with civil administration, Indian Air Force, NDMA, ITBP, the Indian Army has intensified the joint relief operations... Additional columns have been deployed, our Special Forces from Agra in AN 32 and C 295 aircraft have been flown. Medical personnel with all required equipment and accessories have been moved."
VIDEO | Uttarkashi cloudburst rescue operation: Central Command Chief of Staff Harsil Lt Gen Navin Sachdeva, addressing a press conference, says,
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 7, 2025
"Despite adverse weather and inhospitable terrain, in complete synergy with civil administration, Indian Air Force, NDMA, ITBP, the… pic.twitter.com/nnvl5W2ih1
People from other states stranded in disaster-affected areas are being safely brought to Jollygrant Airport, Dehradun with the help of Chinook helicopters. A total of 274 people stranded in the disaster have been rescued so far.
आपदा प्रभावित क्षेत्रों में फंसे अन्य राज्य के लोगों को चिनूक हेलीकॉप्टर की मदद से जौलीग्रांट एयरपोर्ट, देहरादून सुरक्षित लाया जा रहा है, आपदा में फंसे अब तक कुल 274 लोगों को रेस्क्यू किया जा चुका है।#chinook@PMOIndia @IAF_MCC pic.twitter.com/VkkklhHkF4
— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) August 7, 2025
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met with people rescued from disaster-affected areas. Since Thursday morning, more than 65 people have been heli-rescued and brought to Matli, Uttarkashi.
“Officers have been directed to provide all possible assistance to those living in the affected areas. Essential supplies are being delivered to the affected areas through air services,” he said.
More than 24 hours after the Dharali flash floods, rescue operations teem with challenges as the weather, rainfall, lack of connectivity with ground forces, and the dearth of heavy machinery pose significant hurdles for the 170-odd rescue workers.
Rescuers say there is 50-60 feet of muck, almost like quicksand, at the site, which is near-impossible to move without heavy machinery. With two bodies retrieved so far, and an estimated 60 missing, the rescuers are at a critical juncture.
The Commandant of the State Disaster Response Force, Arpan Yaduvanshi, said that communication with their ground team has been patchy as they are relying entirely on satellite phones.
As he watched no one turning up at his hotel on Tuesday, Jai Bhagwan, a hotelier at Dharali, decided to go to the temple nearby for a festival commemorating the naag devta.
Some distance away from the market, the temple was one of the structures unharmed in the floods. Around 1.40 am on Tuesday, Bhagwan was attending the mela when a commotion was heard. “First, there was a thunderous sound, and then I heard people screaming from the village nearby. They were whistling too, but we were clueless. Then came massive waves of mud, water, and rocks,” he recalled.
A total of 307 pilgrims were evacuated from Gangotri to Mukhwa by the ITBP rescue team and have departed for Harsil helipad along with the team at 1145 hrs: ITBP spokesperson
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