The cloudburst took place in the Tharali tehsil of Chamoli district late last night, damaging several houses with two people reportedly missing after getting swept away with the debris.
Chamoli cloudburst: Two missing, rescue operations onImage Source : Reporter
Chamoli (Uttarakhand):
At least one person was killed and one other went missing after a cloudburst hit a village in Tharali tehsil of Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on late Friday night, causing extensive damage, officials said on Saturday.
Large amounts of debris swept through the area, completely destroying several houses, including the official residence of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), according to District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari.
Two people had gone missing as debris swept the area. Officials said the body of a girl has been found while the search continues for another missing person.
One person from the Sagwada village has gone missing, prompting search and rescue operations. Teams from the administration, police, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are carrying out relief and rescue operations.
Roads on the Tharali-Gwaldam and Tharali-Sagwada routes have been closed due to landslides. Following the cloudburst, all schools in Tharali tehsil have also been shut for the day.
(Image Source : REPORTER)Several houses and buildings were damaged in the cloudburst in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand
CM Pushkar Dhami monitoring situation, rescue ops underway
In a post on X, Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami said late last night, a tragic report of a cloudburst was received in the Tharali area of Chamoli district.
"The district administration, SDRF, and police have reached the spot and are engaged in relief and rescue operations. In this regard, I am in constant contact with the local administration and am personally closely monitoring the situation," he said.
People evacuated from homes
According to the Chamoli Police, teams were dispatched to the site at night, considering the severity and people were evacuated from houses and shifted to safer locations.
"Due to heavy rainfall last night in the Tharali police station area, public life was affected. Considering the severity of the situation, the Tharali police showed promptness during the night, alerting local people and evacuating them from their homes to safer locations," the police said.
IMD issues yellow alert in Uttarakhand
The IMD has issued a yellow alert in the state, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall. Uttarakhand has been experiencing relentless heavy rainfall this season, triggering cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides. Earlier this month, a cloudburst in Harsil and Dharali caused flash floods, resulting in several people going missing and extensive damage to infrastructure.
