Mud-filled lungs, broken ribs: The toll on Uttarakhand's rescuers and villagers after Dharali disaster

Uttarkashi rescue op

As rescue operations press on in the rain-lashed villages of Dharali and Harsil, scenes of physical and psychological trauma continue to unfold. Mud-filled lungs, shattered ribs and deep wounds packed with stones, these are just some of the harrowing injuries sustained by villagers and Army personnel caught in the aftermath of a catastrophic cloudburst in Uttarakhand's Dharali and Harsil regions.

At least a dozen injured survivors, including members of the second-line response teams, are fighting for recovery in hospitals across the state, according to a report by TOI.

Medical staff across Uttarakhand have been treating at least a dozen injured following the disaster, with cases referred to prominent medical centres in Dehradun and Rishikesh. One Army Lieutenant Colonel, cited by TOI, is currently hospitalised with leg fractures and severe blunt force trauma at the Military Hospital in Dehradun. Another patient remains critical at AIIMS Rishikesh after suffering a pneumothorax, a dangerous condition where broken ribs have punctured the lungs, leaking air into his chest cavity.

The injuries testify to the sheer violence unleashed by the cloudburst and subsequent landslides. According to doctors, as cited by TOI, at AIIMS and Uttarkashi district hospital, many of the wounded were part of second-line rescue teams. These personnel, undertaking perilous relief efforts after blocked roads, were ejected up to 150 metres by surging water, rocks and silt.

"Most have blunt injuries, some to the chest, some on the head, others on the legs," medical staff confirmed to TOI. In a stark illustration of the force involved, doctors in Uttarkashi recounted extracting sand and stones from deep within patients' throats, lungs and wounds. “During their surgeries, we extracted mud, pebbles and silt from their injuries,” said Dr Prem Pokhriyal, PMS of Uttarkashi district hospital. He noted that, reassuringly, all patients currently under supervision are now stable.

TOI's report recounted the harrowing experience of Amardeep, a road construction worker from Amritsar and one of the survivors. He described how his team, traversing blocked roads between Harsil and Dharali, was suddenly engulfed by swirling waters after the cloudburst. “We were nearly 20 in the group. The water just swept us... We had no control over the situation,” he said.

Beyond physical injuries, the psychological fallout is palpable. Dr Priya Tyagi, a psychiatrist part of the Uttarkashi district medical team, was quoted by TOI as saying: “They are under immense mental stress. The disaster has shaken them, which is common in such large-scale calamities. Some haven't even processed what happened. They're fearful, sad and confused - but are slowly coping as days pass.”

Health secretary Dr Rajesh Kumar reportedly confirmed to TOI that 13 people were admitted following the disaster, with five referred to Dehradun - three to AIIMS and two to the Military Hospital. “One remains critical; others are stable,” he stated.

In response to the crisis, teams of specialist doctors and paramedics have been deployed to four strategic points: Dharali, Harsil, Matli and Uttarkashi. The emergency medical response also includes 300 prepared beds, 45 ambulances and five mortuary vans, TOI reported.