Watch: Houses Swept Away, 7 Missing As Cloudburst Strikes Uttarakhand’s Chamoli

A catastrophic cloudburst hit Nandanagar Ghat locality in Chamoli district late Wednesday evening, with seven missing and a number of houses buried under rubble. The mishap took place in Kuntri Langafali ward of Nandanagar Nagar Panchayat, on the banks of Alaknanda River, officials confirmed on Thursday morning. Six houses were totally razed, while seven inhabitants were trapped inside when the cloudburst caused an enormous landslide, said Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari.

Though two individuals have been rescued alive, five are still missing as the search operations are underway. Forces of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with the local administration and medicos, have been put on duty to conduct rescue and relief operations. Three ambulances have also been left in the vicinity to rush help when necessary.

Videos and photos on social media depict the destruction that occurred after the disaster, with swollen rivers, roads destroyed, and houses turned to rubble. The Chamoli District Disaster Management Centre said at least a dozen houses were washed away in the flash flood of mud. Chamoli has been one of the worst-hit districts in Uttarakhand this monsoon, with recurring cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides.

Earlier this month, the Centre informed that an inter-ministerial team will tour Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Pauri, Bageshwar, and Nainital to evaluate the widespread damages due to heavy rains. Authorities have asked people in danger-prone areas to stay vigilant since the monsoon still maintains a serious threat of flash floods and landslides in Uttarakhand’s hill districts.

(This is a developing story, more details are awaited)

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