Flash Floods in Northern India Kill at Least 4, Leave Others Trapped Under Debris

 LUCKNOW, AUGUST 5

Flash floods have swept through parts of northern India, killing at least four people and leaving many others trapped under debris, officials said on Tuesday. The disaster struck the Himalayan village of Dharali in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, where fast-moving floodwaters tore through homes, roads, and a local market.

Local news footage showed water rushing down a mountain and smashing into the village, washing away a dozen hotels and destroying several shops. Prashant Arya, a district official, said rescue efforts are underway, with help from the Indian army and police teams searching for the missing.

Uttarakhand’s Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, said emergency teams are working "on a war footing" to save lives and deliver aid. India’s National Disaster Management Authority has requested three helicopters from the central government to support rescue operations, as reaching the affected area is proving difficult due to its remote location.

Authorities have not yet confirmed how many people are missing or trapped. The Indian Meteorological Department has forecast more heavy rainfall in the coming days, and schools have been ordered closed in several areas, including Dehradun and Haridwar.

Uttarakhand is highly prone to flash floods and landslides, especially during the monsoon. Sudden and intense downpours, known as cloudbursts, are becoming more common in the region. These extreme weather events often lead to devastating floods and landslides. One such disaster in 2013 killed over 6,000 people and affected 4,500 villages in Uttarakhand.

Experts say climate change is playing a major role in increasing the frequency of cloudbursts and other extreme weather events. Rapid, unplanned development in mountain regions is also making these disasters more destructive.

This recent flooding is just one of several climate-related disasters to hit the Himalayan region in recent months. In Pakistan, more than 300 people have died due to heavy rains and glacial melt, according to the country's disaster agency.

In 2024 alone, Asia faced 167 natural disasters—including storms, floods, heatwaves, and earthquakes—more than any other continent. These disasters caused more than $32 billion in damages, according to the Emergency Events Database from the University of Louvain in Belgium.

A 2023 report by the Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development warned that glaciers in the Hindu Kush and Himalayas are melting faster than ever. The study found that over 200 glacial lakes are at high risk of overflowing, which could cause dangerous flooding downstream.

These events are stark reminders of the growing risks climate change poses to mountain communities across the region.

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