Uttarkashi flood disaster: ‘Gone in 15 seconds’ - 10 key things to know

Uttarkashi flood disaster

Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district witnessed a catastrophic flash flood on Tuesday, which struck Dharali village near the Kheer Ganga river, leaving behind a trail of destruction, disrupted pilgrimage routes, and at least four persons killed and dozens feared washed away.

Here are the top 10 pointers from the Dharali disaster:

Floods swallowed everything on its way
The floods hit hotels and residential buildings in Dharali town, situated 8,600 feet above sea level, where video footage recorded by residents showed giant waves of water gushing through the area and swallowing everything in their way, including people and homes.

Cloudburst or glacier event?
Initial reports pointed to a cloudburst as the cause, but experts later suggested a glacier collapse or glacial lake burst likely triggered the massive flood due to minimal rainfall data, challenging the traditional cloudburst theory, TOI reported.

Houses, shops, hotels washed away
Floodwaters and debris swept away up to 50 houses, several shops, and the market area in Dharali. More than 50 hotels and homestays were damaged or submerged, and a portion of the Harsil Army camp was destroyed.

4 dead, several feared trapped
At least four people were confirmed dead, over 70 are missing, and the toll is expected to rise. The list of missing included more than 60 civilians and 9 Indian Army personnel, according to a TOI report.

Locals recount horror
Ramesh Chandra, a Dharali local, said that the village 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. The people couldn’t comprehend what was happening. The flood waters struck them in 15 seconds,” he was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

Massive rescue and relief operations
An extensive joint rescue operation included the Indian Army, ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, local police, and fire department. Over 130 people were evacuated, with aerial support mobilised despite bad weather hampering air operations, The Indian Express reported.

Widespread infrastructure damage
As per NewsOnAir, critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and markets was destroyed, making access and relief efforts extremely challenging. Power supplies, water lines, and communications were disrupted.

Government response
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami closely monitored relief efforts, and red alerts for further heavy rain were issued across multiple Uttarakhand districts. Schools in several affected districts were ordered to close as a precaution.

Why is Uttarakhand so vulnerable?
Scientists blame both natural fragility and human-caused factors. Unchecked construction, rampant tourism development, deforestation, and climate change (which accelerates glacier melt) are making such disasters more frequent and severe across the Himalayan region, TOI reported.

Need for advanced technologyExperts advocate for a multi-pronged strategy combining advanced technology with stronger governance to mitigate future disasters. Former Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Dr M Rajeevan, revealed that plans for a comprehensive warning system were discussed during his tenure but never materialised. “When I was the Secretary, we proposed an integrated early warning system for the entire Himalayan region. It was recorded in a high-level meeting but never implemented,” he was quoted by NDTV as saying. He urged the Ministry of Earth Sciences to fast-track such initiatives under its Mausam Mission, stressing that “more damages can happen” without urgent action.