CHAMOLI, Aug. 23 — Torrential rain in Chamoli district late Friday night caused major disruptions in Tharali town, where debris from a swollen rain drain flooded homes, markets, and even the local tehsil office, officials said Saturday. Two people were reported missing in the aftermath.
Authorities identified one of the missing as 20-year-old Kavita from Sagwara village, while another person was reported untraceable in Chepdon market. Rescue operations were launched overnight, but teams faced difficulties reaching the area as key roads were cut off by debris, officials said.
Chamoli Additional District Magistrate Vivek Prakash noted that heavy damage was reported across Tharali and adjoining areas. “SDRF and police teams were immediately sent, but movement was restricted because the highway and motor roads are blocked,” he said. The administration has begun setting up relief camps for those affected, he added.
District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari traveled to the site Saturday morning to oversee response measures, while officials from the Chamoli Disaster Management Centre confirmed that the Karnaprayag-Gwaldam National Highway — a key route connecting Tharali — remained closed due to debris near Ming Gadhera. The Tharali-Sagwara motor road and Dungri motor road were also blocked.
Schools in three development blocks of the district were ordered shut for the day, the administration said.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed concern over the situation. In a statement on social media, he said, “I am closely monitoring the situation myself. I pray to God for everyone’s safety.” He also conveyed grief over the destruction caused by the sudden flooding.
The incident follows a string of extreme weather events in Uttarakhand this monsoon season. Just weeks earlier, a cloudburst in Uttarkashi district left one person dead and at least 65 missing. Flash floods at Dharali, a popular stopover on the route to Gangotri, buried large portions of the village under mud and debris, damaging hotels and homestays.
Officials in Chamoli said monitoring would continue and appealed to residents in vulnerable areas to remain cautious as rainfall is likely to persist in the region.
