Two Missing As Cloudburst Wreaks Havoc In Uttarakhand’s Chamoli District

At least two people are missing after a cloudburst struck a village in Tharali tehsil of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, late on Friday night, officials said on Saturday.

The sudden downpour left a trail of destruction across the region.

Several parts of the Tharali developmental block bore the brunt of heavy rainfall, with Kotdeep, Radibag, Upper Bazar, Kulsari, Chepdo, Sagwara and nearby areas reporting extensive damage.

Additional District Magistrate Vivek Prakash confirmed that debris entered homes and shops, while Chepdo village suffered the worst impact.

Authorities reported that an elderly person was missing in Chepdo, while in Sagwara, a 20-year-old girl feared trapped inside a collapsed building.

Road connectivity remains severely hit, with the Tharali–Gwaldam stretch near Minggedera blocked by heavy debris and rainfall, while the Tharali–Sagwara route also remained closed.

The calamity damaged shops, homes and vehicles in Kotdeep, where several cars were buried under layers of debris.

In Radibag, rubble swept into the residences of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate and the Nagar Panchayat President, as well as other houses, trapping numerous bikes and vehicles.

Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), dispatched from Gauchar to assist, while the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) began clearing the Ming Khedere stretch to reopen blocked routes.

Following the relentless downpour, frightened residents abandoned their homes in search of safer shelter.

IMD Issues Orange Alert

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for Uttarakhand, forecasting thunderstorms, lightning and very heavy rain in districts including Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Nainital, Almora and Udham Singh Nagar.

Locations such as Kotdwar, Rishikesh, Gangotri, Kashipur, Kedarnath, Joshimath, Mussoorie, Munsyari, Lohaghat, Ranikhet and Khatima remain under warning for the next 24 hours.

In response to the disaster, the Chamoli district administration ordered the closure of all schools and Anganwadi centres in Tharali tehsil on Saturday, 23 August, as a precautionary measure.

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