officials said Tuesday a cloudburst triggered flash flooding in the northern state of Uttarakhand, washing away a Himalayan village.
At least four people were killed, according to a local official. Indian broadcaster NDTV reported that more than 50 were feared missing.
What we know so far
The flood waters swamped houses, swept away roads and destroyed a local market in the Dharali village.
Prashant Arya, an administrative officer, said about a dozen hotels were washed away and several shops collapsed.
Footage on social media showed a stream of water seemingly wiping away houses down a hill toward the village.
Police urged people to stay away from rivers.
Rescue teams deployed
The Indian military said its first teams reached Dharali, which was hit by a “massive mudslide” that prompted a sudden flow of debris and water.
Uttarakhand’s state chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, said rescue teams had been deployed “on a war footing.”
“We are doing everything possible to save lives and provide relief,” he said in a statement.
The National Disaster Management Authority said it asked for helicopters from the federal government to assist, as rescuers struggled to access the remote terrain.
Flash floods in Uttarakhand
The Himalayan region is prone to flash floods and landslides during the monsoon season, with cloudbursts making the phenomena more intense.
In 2021, more than 200 people were killed in Uttarakhand as .
There are about 10,000 glaciers in the Indian Himalayas, many of which are receding due to .
Edited by: Louis Oelofse
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