U'khand Village Gone in 34 Sec

DHARALI, a key stopover on the Gangotri Dham pilgrimage route, was completely devastated on Tuesday afternoon by a sudden surge of debris-laden water from the Khirganga River. The flash flood, carrying massive amounts of debris from the mountains, reportedly wiped out the entire village — market, houses, hotels, and all — in mere 34 seconds.

- NARENDRA SETHI @Dehradun

Besides Dharali, cloudbursts were also reported in Harsil and Sukki. In Harsil, nine out of eleven Army personnel who went missing after a cloudburst remain untraced. While authorities acknowledge the potential for a rising death toll, uncertainty persists more than 24 hours after the calamity.

SDRF, NDRF, ITBP, and Army teams are engaged in extensive rescue operations, having evacuated over 140 people so far. The ancient Kalp Kedar Mahadev Temple, a significant site connected to the Panch Kedar tradition and a major centre of local faith, was also buried under the debris.