Cloudburst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli leaves 5 missing, washes away six houses

Chamoli, Sep 18 (IANS) At least five people have been reported missing after a cloudburst triggered by torrential rains struck Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

The sudden downpour late Wednesday night caused heavy debris flow in Nanda Nagar, reducing six buildings to rubble.

Teams from the SDRF, NDRF, and the Public Works Department have been deployed, with JCB machines and other equipment pressed into service to clear debris and aid relief efforts.

Two people were pulled out alive from the debris, while search and rescue operations continue despite extremely adverse conditions.

A medical team accompanied by three ambulances has been rushed to the site, officials confirmed.

However, relentless rain and difficult terrain are severely hampering rescue efforts.

The weather department has also issued a warning of more heavy rainfall in the coming days across Chamoli.

Locals reported that several residents are still believed to be trapped inside their homes following the cloudburst.

Authorities have deployed teams on the ground to locate the missing, even as the threat of further landslides looms large.

The incident comes just four days after a devastating cloudburst in Dehradun's Sahastradhara, which killed at least 13 people, swept away roads, damaged shops and homes, and destroyed two major bridges.

That disaster had cut off multiple routes linking the state capital with surrounding regions.

During this, the Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple in Dehradun also suffered extensive damage after the Tamsa River, swollen by torrential rains and a cloudburst in Sahastradhara, inundated the temple premises.

Several feet of sand and debris entered the temple complex, submerging the Shivling and leaving deep cracks in the walls.

In response to the worsening situation, the state government has issued a red alert for Dehradun, Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Ptihoragarh and Chamoli, cautioning residents about the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall, further landslides, infrastructure collapse, and rising fatalities through September 20.

--IANS

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