Officials confirmed that two people, including a 20-year-old woman, went missing in the Sagwara and Chepdon areas. (Photo: X/Uttarakhandcops)
Heavy rain triggered a devastating cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district late Friday night. The disaster struck around 2 am, flooding Tharali town and nearby areas. A rain drain, Tunri Gadhera, overflowed and carried debris into houses, shops, and even the tehsil office before draining into the Pindar River.
Officials confirmed that two people, including a 20-year-old woman, went missing in the Sagwara and Chepdon areas. In Sagwara, debris collapsed on a house, burying a young girl. In Tharali, nearly 30–40 houses were filled with mud and stones. A similar number of homes in Chepdo village also suffered heavy damage.
The infrastructure was severely damaged by the overflowing canal. The tehsil was left buried in rubble, and numerous homes and businesses were damaged. Rescue teams found it challenging to respond swiftly due to the obstructed roads that connected the impacted villages.
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Rescue efforts were promptly initiated by the Indian Army, police, and the state Disaster Response Force (SDRF). With the help of search-and-rescue dogs, drones, and a medical team, some fifty Rudraprayag soldiers were sent out.
However, road blockages slowed down their operations through the night.
The district administration began setting up relief camps for displaced families. The Karnaprayag–Gwaldam National Highway was closed after debris piled up near Ming Gadhera. The Tharali-Sagwara and Dungri motor roads were also shut. Schools in three development blocks were ordered closed as a precaution.
Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari reached the site early in the morning. He said that destruction had spread across multiple locations within one kilometer of the tehsil headquarters. ADM Vivek Prakash confirmed that several homes and offices were badly damaged.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was monitoring the situation closely. He also posted on social media: “I am closely monitoring the situation myself. I pray to God for everyone's safety.”
This latest incident comes just weeks after a cloudburst in Uttarkashi killed one person and left 65 missing. Experts warn that Uttarakhand remains highly vulnerable to such extreme weather events, which often lead to flash floods and landslides.
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