Scores missing in flashflood-ravaged Dharali as bad weather hits rescue

Two more bodies were recovered and at least 200 people were rescued from the flashflood-ravaged Dharali village of Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand on Wednesday even as fears mounted for those still trapped under the massive river of sludge that buried scores of houses, trees and cars.

A massive rescue operation is currently underway amid bad weather. The Indian Army has launched a full-scale disaster relief operation, deploying over 225 personnel, including combat engineers, radar units and dog squads. Rescue teams from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are also on the ground.

However, the region has been battered by relentless rain over the past 48 hours. Key road stretches near Bartwari, Linchigad, and Gangrani have been washed away, cutting off access for rescue convoys to reach Dharali-Harsil belt, which on Tuesday witnessed what is now emerging as one of the worst natural disasters in Uttarakhand since the 2013 cloudburst in Kedarnath, leaving at least five persons dead and scores missing.

"Search and rescue teams are working under extremely challenging conditions. Road access to Dharali is blocked from both north and south. A bridge has also collapsed, which is hampering mobility and logistics," an official said.

Military helicopters, including Mi-17, Chinook and ALH, are on standby at Jolly Grant, Chandigarh, and Sarsawa airbases, while three civilian helicopters have already been pressed into service from Sahastradhara. These choppers have carried out evacuation and dropped relief supplies at Bhatwari and Harsil.

“The military helipad at Harsil is operational, but the civilian helipad at Dharali is non-functional due to a mudslide,” the official said.

"Around 150 people have been rescued so far. More teams are en route but are stuck due to road blockages. Two additional NDRF teams are waiting at the airport and will be deployed if needed," NDRF DIG Mohsin Shaheedi said.

The Uttarakhand Government has set up emergency relief camps in safer zones, and district authorities are monitoring rising water levels across several vulnerable points.

Meanwhile, a 28-member group of tourists, natives of Kerala, who had gone missing after the tragedy, were safe, family members in Kochi said on Wednesday.