Uttarkashi Cloudburst: 43 Still Missing, Including 9 Soldiers, as Heavy Rain Looms Over Rescue Work

DEHRADUN: Almost a week after a sudden cloudburst triggered devastating flash floods in Dharali on August 5, the Uttarakhand administration has confirmed that 43 people are still missing among them nine Army personnel. The weather office has warned of intense rainfall in Uttarkashi till August 15, raising fears of fresh landslides and further delays in already challenging rescue operations.

Relief Teams Racing Against Time

Garhwal commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said tracing the missing remains the “topmost priority.” Rescue teams from NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, and expert geologists are working round-the-clock, though efforts are frequently hampered by damaged roads and recurring landslips.

Missing Persons Across States and Borders

Those unaccounted for include eight residents of Dharali, five from nearby villages, and several others from Tehri, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal. Contact has been re-established with five of the 29 missing Nepali workers, but most remain missing. So far, two bodies have been recovered from the debris.

Survivors Holding On

While many locals have taken shelter in Uttarkashi and Dehradun, about 300 residents are still staying in Dharali. Authorities report that 1,278 people have been evacuated since the disaster, including stranded tourists and workers.

Infrastructure Hit Hard

Road connectivity remains a major hurdle. A Bailey bridge at Limchagaad has been restored, but progress elsewhere is slow. On Monday, a Pokland excavator operating on the Dabrani–Sonagad route slipped into the raging Bhagirathi river, sweeping its operator away.

Hidden Threat Beneath the Debris

According to SDRF nodal officer Arun Mohan Joshi, a buried stream from Kheer Gad may still be flowing under nearly 50 feet of rubble. “If the water is active beneath the debris, the ground could give way without warning,” he cautioned.