At least four people are dead and more than 50 are missing after surging floodwaters swept through a village in the northern Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.
Teams from army and disaster response forces had reached the area, local authorities said, and workers were trying to rescue people trapped under debris and sludge.
A a massive cloudburst is believed to have triggered the rain and and floods in a popular tourist spot on Tuesday. TV news channels showed water, mud and debris surging down a mountain, sweeping away homes and a road.
The mudslide cleaved through Dharali village, burying some houses, according to a video update shared by the state chief minister’s office.
“A massive mudslide struck Dharali village in the KheerGad area near Harsil, triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement,” the Central Command of the Indian Army said in a post on X.
Eyewitnesses from a nearby village who shot the dramatic footage can be heard shrieking, blowing whistles and shouting “run, run”. But they say the speed of the surge gave people no chance to get away.
They said they believed many people could be trapped under the debris.
“About a dozen hotels have been washed away and several shops have collapsed,” said Prashant Arya, an administrative officer who added that rescuers including Indian army and police were searching for the missing.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said rescue agencies were working “on a war footing.”
“We are doing everything possible to save lives and provide relief,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his “condolences to the people affected by the tragedy” in a post on social media site X.
“I pray for the well-being of all the victims… Relief and rescue teams are engaged in every possible effort. No stone is being left unturned in providing assistance to the people,” he wrote.
Uttarakhand is prone to floods and landslides, which some experts blame on climate change.
At least 200 people died in 2021 when flash floods swept away two hydroelectric projects in the state.
There are about 10,000 glaciers in the Indian Himalayas, and many are receding due to the warming climate.
-with AAP
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