Cloudburst devastates Uttarakhand’s Chamoli, 10 missing as homes vanish under debris

At least 10 people, including children and the elderly, are missing after a late-night cloudburst tore through Nanda Nagar in Chamoli district on September 17 evening, flattening six houses and leaving villages buried under mud and rubble.

Rescue teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), are battling treacherous weather to trace those missing. Two survivors have so far been pulled from the debris, while medical teams and ambulances have been rushed to the worst-hit areas.

According to officials, six of the missing are from Kuntri Laga Phali village, two from Sarpani, and two from Dhurma. The youngest victims feared trapped are boys aged just 10, while the oldest is a 75-year-old. Locals say several more residents remain stranded in their homes as rescue efforts struggle against rain and landslides.

The calamity comes just days after a cloudburst in Dehradun killed 13 people, swept away roads and shops, and brought down two major bridges, cutting off key routes. With the India Meteorological Department warning of more downpours, the Uttarakhand government has issued a red alert for Dehradun, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar, cautioning of possible landslides and further fatalities.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said restoration of essential services was underway, with 85% of damaged power lines already repaired. “Our priority is to restore road and power connectivity at the earliest,” he said.

The tragedy is part of a wider pattern of devastation across the Himalayan belt. Himachal Pradesh has also been battered this week by flash floods and landslides, claiming at least three lives.