Chilling videos purportedly shot by locals from a higher location on the other side of Dharali captured the terrifying moment when a huge wave of water and debris roared through the village, sweeping away people all in a matter of few seconds.
In a matter of seconds, a picturesque Himalayan village turned into a nightmare zone, as horrifying scenes unfolded in Dharali, Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi on Tuesday afternoon. Heart-stopping videos, allegedly recorded by locals from a higher point across the valley in Mukhba, reveal the very moment when a monstrous surge of water and debris thundered through the village, sweeping away everything in its path. Around 1:50 pm, a massive cascade of slush, boulders, and uprooted trees raced downhill, crashing into Dharali’s main market.
The terrifying footage — now going viral on social media — captures the sheer panic on the ground. Shrieks of horror ring out as chaos erupts. In one particularly haunting clip, the person filming can be heard desperately screaming “Bhago, bhago!” (run, run!) and whistling to warn the unsuspecting villagers below.
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Within a mere 20 seconds, shops, homes, and guesthouses crumbled like paper in a storm. Residents fled in terror — some sprinting through narrow alleys, others scaling uphill paths in a desperate attempt to outrun the surge. At least a dozen individuals are feared to have been caught in the deluge, possibly dragged into the roaring tide.
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What had been a thriving local hub was swiftly transformed into a desolate expanse of wreckage.
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Uttarakhand CM Dhami Holds Disaster Management Meet; PM Modi Takes Stock
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a disaster management meeting at the State Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to assess the cloudburst and flash flood in Uttarkashi’s Dharali.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to CM Dhami over the phone and inquired about the tragedy. The Prime Minister also took stock of the updated status of relief and rescue operations, an official release said.
Prime Minister Modi assured all possible assistance from the central government.
The Uttarakhand CM also surveyed an ongoing high-intensity rescue operation involving the Indian Army, ITBP, SDRF, NDRF, and local residents, where 130 people have already been saved.
Despite challenges from damaged roads and a bridge, the Dehradun Disaster Operations Station is working round-the-clock to ensure safety.
“All our agencies, including the Indian Army, ITBP, SDRF, NDRF and locals, are doing the rescue work. 130 people were rescued yesterday. A search and rescue operation is underway. Due to damage to the roads and a bridge, it has become difficult to reach the spot. The Disaster Operations Station in Dehradun is working 24 hours to provide all possible assistance. We are putting in efforts to rescue everyone safely. I want to thank PM Modi for providing every possible assistance. PM Modi took the details of the rescue operation today as well…,” he said.
“10 DSP, 3 SP and around 160 police officials are engaged in carrying out rescue operations… Helicopters of the Indian Army are also ready. As soon as the weather improves, the helicopters will be used for rescue operations. Food packets and a team of doctors have been prepared. The work to restore electricity is also underway. Mobile network is not available in Dharali as of now. We are trying to reach the people. We are putting in efforts to rescue everyone safely,” the CM added.
(With inputs from ANI)