Uttarakhand: Cloudburst hits Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts, several feared trapped

Several families were trapped under debris after a cloudburst triggered flash floods in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts on Friday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said.

In a social media post, Dhami said that reports of cloudburst were received from the Bareth Dungar Tok area in Rudraprayag’s Buskedar tehsil and the Deval area of Chamoli district.

Rescue operations are underway, he added.

Incessant rainfall has also disrupted movement in other parts of the state.

The Haldwani-Bhimtal road was blocked after heavy debris fell from a hillside near the Rani Bagh bridge, shutting traffic on the route, India Today reported.

Schools in Rudraprayag, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Haridwar and Pithoragarh districts were ordered to remain closed on Friday due to the heavy rainfall, the news outlet reported.

Chamoli Police urged residents living along the riverbanks to move to safe locations immediately.

“Due to the continuous heavy rainfall in the Chamoli district, the water levels of the rivers have risen to a dangerous level,” the police advisory added.

The state has been witnessing incessant rainfall in recent weeks. On August 23, at least two persons went missing in Chamoli after floods triggered by overnight rainfall.
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