Lucknow: Uttarakhand witnessed another night of devastation as heavy rains and multiple cloudbursts hit several districts late on Thursday, leaving at least five people dead, several injured, and many more missing. The disaster struck Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar and Tehri districts, all of which have been reeling under relentless downpours since Thursday evening.
In Rudraprayag’s Tendwal village, a woman was killed after being buried under debris, while 18 people were reported missing in the same incident. Chamoli district’s Dewal region also faced widespread destruction, where two people died and nearly 20 livestock were buried. In Bageshwar’s Pousari village, two women were crushed to death after a house collapsed during a landslide. Tehri’s Gewali village also experienced a cloudburst, but no casualties were reported there.
The intense rainfall has triggered landslides at several points, cutting off road access and stranding tourists across the hilly state. Authorities have deployed rescue and relief teams to evacuate people from vulnerable areas, while schools in the worst-hit regions have been ordered shut. In Rudraprayag, officials issued an alert after the water level of the Alaknanda river surged dangerously, putting low-lying areas at risk. Residents have been urged to shift to safer ground.
This latest wave of destruction adds to a string of recent tragedies. Just days ago, seven people lost their lives in Uttarkashi’s Dharali village when a cloudburst caused flash floods. Frequent cloudburst incidents highlight the increasing vulnerability of Uttarakhand during monsoon months. Experts have long warned that the fragile Himalayan terrain, coupled with erratic rainfall patterns linked to climate change, is making the region more prone to such extreme weather events.
Tourism, a lifeline for Uttarakhand’s economy, has also been severely disrupted. Many pilgrims and visitors to hill shrines and tourist destinations have been left stranded, with authorities struggling to clear blocked roads and restore safe passage. The state government has pressed disaster response teams into action, but the scale of destruction continues to grow as rains show no signs of easing.
The back-to-back incidents have once again raised questions on preparedness and long-term planning for disaster management in the hill state. While immediate relief efforts are underway, rebuilding damaged infrastructure and restoring connectivity will be a daunting challenge. For locals, however, the immediate priority remains survival as they endure yet another season of nature’s fury.
