13 dead, 16 missing in Dehradun cloudbursts

Cloudbursts and heavy rain overnight left a trail of destruction in Uttarakhand capital Dehradun and several other parts of the state on Tuesday as swollen rivers washed away buildings, roads and bridges, leaving 15 persons dead, 16 missing and 900 stranded in different locations.

Of the total fatalities, Dehradun district alone reported 13 and Nainital and Pithoragarh districts one each. Sixteen persons are reported missing in different parts of the state capital, the Uttarakhand Disaster Management Authority said. Three persons were also injured in the incidents, it said, adding that they were under treatment.

Search for the missing continued amid inclement weather while NDRF, SDRF and fire brigade personnel brought most of the stranded people to safety, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) here said. It said that 900 people stranded in different locations were rescued by the SDRF, NDRF and Fire Brigade personnel.

Most rivers were in spate following the showers. Tamsa river, also known as the Tons, inundated the famous Tapkeshwar Temple on its bank, submerging the gigantic Hanuman statue near its entrance up to the shoulders. The temple’s priest, Bipin Joshi, said he had not seen the river waters rise so high in the past 25 to 30 years.

Roads were breached, and several bridges were washed away in Dehradun district. With the swollen rivers flowing over the roads, evacuating people to safety was a huge challenge. Videos shared on social media showed SDRF personnel helping stranded people wade through the violent currents of flooded rivers in which vehicles, including cars and trucks, were left stuck.

About 400-500 students trapped due to waterlogging at the Devbhoomi Institute campus in Paundha area of Dehradun were rescued by an SDRF team, said Banshidhar Tiwari, Director General, Information.

A boy clinging precariously to an electric pole, which he had climbed to save himself from the swirling waters of a river raging below, was brought to safety by an SDRF man with the help of a rope, risking his own life.

Sahastradhara, Maldevta, Santla Devi and Dalanwala were the worst-hit by the disaster, according to the district disaster management office here. Sahastradhara received 192 mm of rain, followed by Maldevta (141.5 mm), Hathi Barkala and Jolly Grant (92.5mm each) and Kalsi (83.5 mm).

Several roads, houses and shops were damaged, and bridges washed away. The Dehradun-Mussoorie road was also breached at several points, prompting the police to appeal to tourists and visitors to stay wherever they were for their own safety, whether in hotels, homes or homestays, till the road is restored.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the rain-affected areas of Dehradun district to review the situation.

Interacting with reporters in the rain-hit Maldevta area, he said, “All rivers are in spate following heavy rain. Roads have been breached at 25 to 30 places. Approach roads are cut off. Houses and government properties have been damaged. Normal life is severely affected. Rescue teams are working on a war footing to restore normalcy.”

Dhami briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the situation.