Chamoli: Heavy rainfall and a cloudburst wreaked havoc in Nandanagar area of Ghat tehsil, Chamoli district, late Wednesday night, leaving one person dead and at least 12 others missing. Rescue teams of police, SDRF and NDRF are engaged in round-the-clock operations to trace the missing and provide relief to affected families.
The disaster in Chamoli comes barely two days after another cloudburst struck Dehradun district, killing 13 people and causing massive destruction. The back-to-back incidents have heightened concerns over the rising frequency of extreme weather events in Uttarakhand’s hill regions.
According to officials, the worst-hit village in Chamoli is Kuntri Laga Phali where eight people are reported missing. Around 15 to 20 houses and cowsheds were destroyed when heavy debris slid down on homes around 3 am. Two women and a child were pulled out safely from the rubble by police and DDRF teams. In all, ten people have gone missing from Kuntri Laga Phali and Dhurma villages. Two people trapped in remote areas were rescued with the help of helicopters.
In Senti Kuntri village, two people were buried under debris, while five others from Phali Laga Kuntri are untraced. One person is missing from Dhurma village. “We were sleeping when suddenly a loud noise came and mud entered our house. Somehow we ran out in the dark. Our neighbors are missing,” said Ramesh Rawat, a resident of Kuntri Laga Phali, recalling the terrifying moments.
Eyewitnesses said the rain was so intense that people fled their homes in the middle of the night. Several cowsheds and livestock were washed away. The Moksha Gad stream overflowed, sweeping away houses in Sera village and threatening the Nandaprayag–Nandanagar motor bridge. Another bridge connecting a petrol pump to the old market was washed away.
In Tharali, Sol valley and nearby areas, torrential rain disrupted life, blocking roads and cutting off several villages. Houses in Salubagad and Lankhi areas of Nandanagar are under threat of collapse. Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari said relief and rescue efforts are underway, with SDRF and NDRF teams on the ground. “All resources have been mobilised. Search for the missing is our top priority and we are ensuring medical teams reach the villages quickly,” he said.
An SDRF officer involved in the rescue operations added, “The terrain is challenging and rain has not stopped, but our teams are moving house to house to check if anyone is trapped. We have managed to save three people from under debris.”
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the tragedy. In a post on X, he said, “Sad news has been received about damage to houses due to heavy rainfall in Nandanagar Ghat area of Chamoli. Local administration, SDRF and police teams are engaged in rescue and relief work. I am in constant touch with officials and monitoring the situation. I pray for the safety of all.”
Authorities said the search for the missing continues and efforts are being made to restore connectivity to cut-off villages. With more rain predicted in the coming days, residents remain fearful of further damage.
