Uttarkashi Flash Flood: At Least 50-60 Missing In Uttarakhand's Harshil, Including 10 Army Personnel

At least 50 to 60 people, including 10 Army personnel, remain missing after flash floods, triggered by suspected cloudbursts, struck along the Kheer Ganga riverbanks in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district, Hindustan Times reported.

The missing include around 20 local residents, 25 to 30 non-local workers employed in shops and hotels in Harshil town, and an undetermined number of tourists.

The flash floods hit Lower Harshil on Tuesday (5 August), affecting an Army camp where the missing personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, were stationed.

The disaster caused extensive damage, including the destruction of the civil helipad.

However, the Army helipad remains operational and is being used to bring in reinforcements and equipment for ongoing rescue efforts.

Meanwhile, a fifth body was recovered on Wednesday morning (6 August) from Dharali village, near the Harshil police station.

Rescue operations, involving the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), are underway across four key locations- Dharali, Lower Harshil, north of Dharali, and Gangotri.

To assist the search efforts, the Centre has deployed the Tiranga Mountain Rescue Team equipped with RECCO radars, advanced devices used to detect human presence under thick layers of mud and debris, which in some places exceeds 20 feet.

Drones are also being used to deliver relief materials, medicines, and food to stranded individuals.

The 14 Rajputana Rifles managed to reopen a road between Harshil and Dharali on Wednesday (6 August) morning, clearing a vital route blocked by a mudslide.

Injured villagers from Dharali are being taken to medical investigation facilities set up by the Army and ITBP in Harshil.

Rescue operations continue as heavy rains keep rivers in Uttarakhand flowing above danger marks.

Also Read: Uttarkashi Cloudburst: Flash Floods Ravage Dharali Village, Hotels and Homes Swept Away