Chamoli, Sept 18 — At least five people are missing after a massive landslide, triggered by incessant rains, flattened several houses in Nandanagar area of Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district early Thursday, officials said.
According to the district disaster management centre, debris from the landslide swept away nearly half a dozen houses in Kuntri ward of Nagar Panchayat Nandanagar. “Seven people were inside the houses when the landslide occurred. Two of them were rescued alive, while five remain untraceable,” an official noted.
Teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed to carry out search and rescue operations. A medical team accompanied by three ambulances has also reached the spot, officials confirmed.
The impact of the extreme weather was felt in nearby areas as well. Heavy flooding in the Mokh river demolished six houses in Dhurma village of Nandanagar. “Rescue teams are working in difficult conditions because of continued rainfall and unstable ground,” an SDRF member said.
This is not the first instance of land-related disasters in the region. In August, parts of Nandanagar experienced land subsidence, leaving deep cracks on the walls of several houses. Many families had to be shifted to safer locations at that time.
Authorities said the search for the missing persons will continue until they are found, but warned that the situation remains precarious due to ongoing rainfall.
