Jagran Correspondent, Chamoli: A cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Monday triggered flash floods, causing the Tamak Nullah in the Niti Valley to overflow and wash away the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) bridge over it.
Teams from the police, administration, SDRF, and NDRF have been dispatched to the scene.
A BRO employee was swept away and remains missing in the incident. The collapse of the bridge disrupted traffic beyond Malari.
The rain that fell Monday afternoon caused extensive damage to local homes and farmland. Disaster Management Officer Nand Kishore Joshi said rescue teams have been dispatched to the scene. Residents living near the drain have been asked to move to safer locations.
The flash flood also swept away a dozer and a vehicle. The horrific visuals from the site have surfaced, showing the scale of devastation.
What did Chamoli ADM say?
Speaking about the incident, Chamoli ADM Vivek Prakash said, “There is a Tamak Nala and a very strong surge of water occurred there this evening at 5:30 PM. A Bailey bridge at the site was washed away; BRO officials and staff were present in the immediate vicinity. A BRO vehicle and its driver have gone missing. A search operation is underway, and an SDRF team has been dispatched to the site.”
“About 15 or 16 villages are located on the other side of the bridge; we are making urgent efforts to restore connectivity so that services can be resumed by tomorrow. I am in constant contact with the BRO and am striving to provide whatever assistance or resources they require. We are also coordinating with the ITBP to assess the situation on the other side and determine how many tourists might be there, ensuring that appropriate measures are taken for anyone present in that area,” he added.