Dehradun: Rescue efforts intensified in disaster-hit Dharali village in Uttarkashi on Thursday as improved weather allowed the Indian Air Force’s Chinook and Mi-17 helicopters to evacuate more than 270 stranded individuals from remote locations across the district.
The Indian Army reported that 50 civilians and nine personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, were missing. However, eyewitnesses feared the actual number of missing persons could be significantly higher.
Officials confirmed at least four deaths in the flash flood disaster that hit the ecologically fragile region on Tuesday. Two bodies were recovered on Wednesday, but clarity is awaited on whether they are part of the four confirmed fatalities.
With rains subsiding, aerial sorties resumed to rescue those trapped in army camps and surrounding villages. A 69-member NDRF team, aided by two cadaver dogs and veterinarians, joined the large-scale search for survivors.
“This is a big disaster, and damage assessment is still ongoing. Roads connecting Uttarkashi are badly damaged, but our teams are working tirelessly in affected zones,” said NDRF DIG Gambhir Singh Chauhan.
According to Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman, a total of 274 people were brought to Harsil, while Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya confirmed that 275 evacuees from Harsil, Gangotri, and Jhala were moved to the Matli helipad for onward transit to their home states, which include Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Karnataka, Telangana, and Punjab.
Survivor accounts revealed the horror of the flash floods. Bhupendra Singh Mehta, a rescued tourist, recalled, “We were asleep when the flood came. People were screaming ‘run, run’. Everything around our homestay was swept away. Debris reached our second-floor windows. We jumped and crawled to a bridge to save ourselves.” Another tourist, Chandan, added, “We saw bodies buried under debris at several spots.”
Garhwal Division’s IG Rajeev Swaroop stated that 35 people were airlifted to Jolly Grant airport in a Chinook helicopter. Though the region remains partially cut off due to landslides and road damage, rescue operations continue across multiple blocked locations including Bartwari, Linchigad, Harsil, Gangnani, and Dharali.
Advanced rescue and communication equipment is being airlifted, including VSAT systems to improve internet connectivity in Harsil. The Army, in coordination with civil authorities, has deployed over 225 personnel, including engineers, medical teams, radar units, and search dogs. Helicopter services from Sahastradhara are also facilitating evacuations between Matli, Bhatwari, and Harsil.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, stationed in Uttarkashi since Wednesday, visited women who lost family members. “I saw the pain in their eyes. I salute their courage,” he wrote on Facebook, adding that relief efforts will continue until every person is safely brought home.
So far, nine Army personnel and three civilians have been flown to Dehradun. Three critically injured civilians are under treatment at AIIMS Rishikesh, while eight others are at the Uttarkashi District Hospital.
Operational helipads in Harsil and Nelong have aided tourist movement, although the civil helipad in Dharali remains out of service due to a mudslide. A detailed action plan for the next 48 hours includes airlifting paratroopers and medics to Harsil, deploying NDRF teams to Nelong, opening roads near Tekla, and evacuating tourists in return sorties.
