Uttarakhand flash floods: Homes buried, roads blocked; PM Modi speaks to CM Dhami - latest developments

NEW DELHI: A flash flood struck Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district, devastating the high-altitude village of Dharali as a massive surge of water and debris swept through within seconds, flattening buildings and washing people away.

Flash floods tore through homes, trees, and cars in Dharali, trapping 60–70 people and killing at least four.

PM Modi took note of the situation and spoke with chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Dharali, a key stop on the route to Gangotri, the source of the Ganges, is home to many hotels, restaurants, and homestays.

Officials said nearly half the village was buried under a torrent of mud, rubble, and water, as rescue teams struggled in the fragile Himalayan terrain to limit the afternoon’s devastation.

Here are the top developments-

• Army teams are carrying out rescue operations in Dharali and the nearby Sukhi Top area.

• Rescue and clearance work is under way after a cloudburst caused flash floods and landslides in Uttarkashi, blocking multiple stretches of the Uttarkashi-Harsil road.

• JCBs and other heavy machinery have been deployed to clear debris and restore connectivity, while an NDRF team has also been sent to the site.

• The ancient Kalp Kedar temple was buried under debris carried by the flash flood in the Kheer Ganga river.

• PM Modi spoke to Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami about the Dharali disaster and ongoing relief work. CM Dhami said agencies are working in coordination despite heavy rain challenges, and PM assured full central support, the Uttarakhand CMO said.

आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी ने प्रातः काल फ़ोन पर धराली में चल रहे राहत और बचाव कार्यों की जानकारी ली। इस दौरान उन्हें रात भर चले बचाव कार्यों, घटनास्थल से लोगों को सुरक्षित स्थानों पर रेस्क्यू करने एवं ज़रूरी सेवाओं और संसाधनों की उपलब्धता के बारे में अवगत कराया।…

— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) August 6, 2025

• CM Dhami rushed to the site and carried out an aerial survey of flash flood-hit areas in Dharali, Uttarkashi.

#WATCH | Uttarkashi cloudburst incident: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami conducts an aerial survey of the cloudburst and flash flood-affected areas in Uttarkashi's Dharali. pic.twitter.com/KzaytMHxnf

— ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2025

• Uttarakhand’s civil aviation authority said Harsil’s helipad is submerged, and rescue efforts will resume with 4–5 choppers once the weather improves.

• During rescue efforts in Harsil, 9 Army personnel went missing while 2 were rescued.

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rainfall across the state, especially in the hill districts.

• Uttarakhand has ordered all schools from Classes 1 to 12 and Anganwadi centres to close in Almora, Pithoragarh, Chamoli, and Rudraprayag after the IMD issued a heavy rainfall warning.
  
  
• "Teams of ITBP, SDRF, NDRF, BRO are carrying out rescue operations at the spot. Around 150 people have been taken to safe spots. Our three teams are on the way and they will reach the spot as soon as the road reopens. Our teams in Pant Nagar, Gauchar and Joshimath are on standby. They will be sent once the weather improves," said Mohsen Shahedi, DIG, NDRF.