Indian rescue teams, backed by military helicopters, began airlifting stranded residents from the flood-ravaged Himalayan state of Uttarakhand on Thursday, two days after sudden flash floods and landslides killed at least four people and left dozens missing.
The hardest-hit area is the remote village of Dharali in Uttarkashi district, where a wall of water on Tuesday submerged homes and vehicles in mud and debris. Blocked and collapsed roads, some buried under boulders, hampered ground rescue operations, prompting authorities to deploy aerial assistance.
“The heli-rescue operation has started in the affected areas this morning,” said Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in a post on X, confirming that helicopter teams were given special instructions to maximize the effectiveness of the mission.
The Indian Army, along with state emergency personnel, has been working tirelessly to clear roads turned into torrents of mud and rock. Videos from the region showed soldiers using both machinery and their bare hands to shift massive boulders obstructing access to affected areas.
Roughly 200 people were rescued on Tuesday and Wednesday, officials reported, but many remain unaccounted for. Dharali, a small hamlet of about 200 residents located more than 1,150 meters (3,775 feet) above sea level, serves as a rest stop for Hindu pilgrims en route to the sacred town of Gangotri.
“We saw Dharali falling before our eyes,” said Anamika Mehra, a pilgrim who was caught in the flooding. “We were very scared, but the locals helped us and the army reached the next day to rescue us,” she told ANI news agency.
Uttarakhand frequently experiences floods and landslides, particularly during the monsoon season. Experts have increasingly attributed the severity and frequency of such disasters to climate change and unchecked development in ecologically sensitive areas.
Rescue operations remain ongoing as authorities race against time to locate the missing and provide aid to isolated communities.
Written By Rodney Mbua
