Chamoli, Uttarakhand: A late-night cloudburst in Chamoli district’s Nanda Nagar area wreaked havoc in the wee hours of Thursday, leaving at least five people missing and several homes destroyed. The sudden downpour triggered a massive flow of debris that flattened six houses and trapped residents inside.
Rescue teams managed to pull two survivors from the rubble, but operations to locate the missing are being hindered by persistent bad weather. Authorities have dispatched medical teams along with three ambulances to provide urgent assistance.
जनपद चमोली के नंदानगर घाट क्षेत्र में हुई अतिवृष्टि से आस पास के घरों को क्षति पहुंचने की दुःखद सूचना प्राप्त हुई है। स्थानीय प्रशासन, @uksdrf व पुलिस की टीमें तत्काल मौके पर पहुंचकर राहत एवं बचाव कार्य में जुटी हुई हैं।
इस संबंध में निरंतर प्रशासन से संपर्क में हूँ और स्वयं…
— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) September 18, 2025
Locals reported that many families were caught off guard as the deluge struck past midnight, leaving little time to escape. “The water came rushing with mud and stones. Within minutes, houses were gone,” said a resident.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast continued heavy rainfall for Chamoli, raising fears of more landslides in the coming days. Officials have urged people in vulnerable areas to remain cautious.
The fresh disaster comes just days after Dehradun witnessed one of the deadliest cloudbursts this season, which claimed 13 lives, swept away bridges, and cut off vital road networks. With the state already struggling to restore normalcy, another calamity has deepened the crisis.
A red alert remains in place for Dehradun, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar until September 20. Across Uttarakhand, more than 900 people have been stranded while 15 continue to remain missing in separate rain-related incidents.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that priority is being given to restoring roads, electricity, and communication lines. “Nearly 85 percent of damaged power supply has already been repaired, and efforts are on to complete the rest in the next two days,” he assured.
Meanwhile, neighboring Himachal Pradesh is also grappling with flash floods and landslides. Three people lost their lives there earlier this week, adding to the growing toll of monsoon devastation across the Himalayan belt.
