Heavy rain overnight in Tharali, a town in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, flooded a drain and deposited debris at several houses and markets, an official said on Saturday, August 23.
Tunri Gadhera, a dry canal that channels excess rainwater, also filled the administrative office with debris before joining the Pindar River. The official said two people—a 20-year-old woman and another person—went missing in the nearby Sagwara and Chepdon market areas.
Chamoli Additional District Magistrate Vivek Prakash said there was heavy damage to structures in Tharali and the surrounding areas. Teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police were dispatched to the spot Friday night (August 22), but they have been held up due to a key road being blocked, the official said.
Prakash said the administration is setting up relief camps. Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari left for the spot early morning, he said.
According to the Chamoli District Disaster Management Centre, the Karnaprayag-Gwaldam National Highway connecting Tharali has been closed due to debris near Ming Gadhera. The Tharali-Sagwara motor road and the Dungri motor road have also been blocked.
Schools remained shut on Saturday in three development blocks at the government's order.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his grief over the destruction. In a post on social media, he said, “The district administration, SDRF, and police have reached the spot and are engaged in relief and rescue operations. I am in constant contact with the local administration and am personally closely monitoring the situation. I pray to God for everyone's safety.”
The incident occurred weeks after a cloudburst wreaked havoc in the state's Uttarkashi district, killing one and causing at least 65 people to go missing. Flash floods ravaged Dharali village, around 264 km from Chamoli, burying half of the mountain village in a fast-flowing mudslide of slush, rubble and water.
The village is the main stopover on the way to Gangotri, the origin of the Ganges River, and is home to several hotels and homestays.
(With inputs from PTI)