KATHMANDU: At least 13 Nepali citizens have gone missing following a devastating landslide and flood that struck Dharali village en route to Uttarkashi in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
Harish Chandra Basnet, chairman of Kushe Rural Municipality in Jajarkot, confirmed that the missing individuals are residents of his municipality and have been out of contact since the disaster.
Uttarakhand has been experiencing continuous monsoon-induced natural disasters this week. On Tuesday, a sudden and powerful flash flood hit Dharali village in the Uttarkashi district, destroying dozens of buildings and causing extensive damage in Ledode village.
Among those missing, 13 are from Kushe Rural Municipality in Jajarkot. In a statement issued on Thursday, Chairman Basnet said, “At least 13 people from Ward No. 2 of Kushe, along with others from different wards, have not been reachable since the incident.”
Basnet has called on the Government of Nepal and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to urgently initiate diplomatic efforts for the immediate search and rescue of the missing Nepali nationals.
The flash flood ravaged Dharali within just 40 seconds, burying over 100 people under a massive flow of mud and debris that cascaded down from the mountains.
“Among the missing were locals and Nepali laborers. Many families had opened their homes to travelers due to the ongoing Chardham Yatra. Construction was underway in many buildings. Seven laborers from Bihar working near one house didn’t even have a chance to escape,” said Umesh Pal Panwar, an eyewitness.
The entire village of Dharali suffered severe destruction. As of now, five deaths have been confirmed, while more than 100 people remain missing. The flood also swept away nine Indian Army personnel. Over 50 houses, 30 hotels and resorts, and 25 homestays have been completely destroyed.
Rescue teams are currently searching the areas where mud has accumulated in hopes of locating the missing. Although water levels have slightly receded, the situation in Dharali remains dire.
Access roads are completely blocked, and water and electricity services have been cut off.
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