Uttarakhand: Many people missing after cloudburst in Chamoli
What's the story
A cloudburst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday night has left many people missing. The Tharali market area and tehsil complex were heavily damaged, with debris burying homes, shops, vehicles, and even the Sub-Divisional Magistrate's official residence. In Sagwara village nearby, a girl was reportedly trapped under the debris inside a building.
Rescue efforts
Tharali-Gwaldam, Tharali-Sagwara roads blocked
Rescue operations are currently underway as locals flee their homes. The Tharali-Gwaldam and Tharali-Sagwara roads have been blocked by debris and heavy rainfall. Videos from the scene show people wading through knee-deep water and debris-filled homes. Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari said, "There is a possibility of a lot of damage due to the cloud burst in Tharali tehsil of Chamoli last night."
Twitter Post
Visuals from the scene
#WATCH | Uttarakhand: There is a possibility of a lot of damage due to the cloud burst in Tharali tehsil of Chamoli last night. A lot of debris has come due to the cloudburst, due to which many houses, including the SDM residence, have been completely damaged: Chamoli DM, Sandeep… pic.twitter.com/3kGNYRSMdG
— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2025
Relief efforts
NDRF, SDRF teams deployed for rescue operations
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed for rescue operations since Friday night. Additional District Magistrate Vivek Prakash said, "The road has been blocked due to the floods, and people are facing a lot of problems." He added that relief camps have also been set up.
Government response
CM Dhami monitoring situation closely
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is also monitoring the situation closely. He said in a post on X, "The district administration, SDRF, and police have reached the spot and are engaged in relief and rescue operations." The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an 'orange' alert for very heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand till August 25.
Weather forecast
IMD warns of heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand
The IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall across several districts in Uttarakhand till August 25. The weather department said, "Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Nainital, Dehradun on August 23." Earlier this month, a cloudburst caused flash floods in Harsil and Dharali, leaving many missing and causing extensive damage to infrastructure.