A cloudburst in the catchment area of the Kheer Ganga river unleashed torrential rains in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district, triggering flash floods that swept through the remote village of Dharali.
Locals reported that several homes were either damaged or completely washed away in the sudden deluge.
As of Tuesday afternoon, at least four lives have been lost, and over fifty individuals remain unaccounted for. Rescue operations are underway, with concerns mounting that 10 to 12 people may be buried under debris. Reports also indicate that up to 25 hotels and homestays could have been engulfed by the floodwaters.
Scientists explain that cloudbursts occur when warm, moist air is abruptly lifted into cooler atmospheric layers, generating intense rainfall in a concentrated area. The sheer volume—over a billion litres dumped in minutes—overwhelms drainage systems and can reshape entire landscapes.
The tragic event highlights the unpredictability and destructive potential of extreme weather in mountainous regions. Calls for improved early warning systems and robust disaster preparedness are intensifying in the aftermath.
