A cloudburst in the Nandanagar area of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand late Wednesday night caused massive devastation. Homes, cowsheds, and lives were buried under rubble in three villages overnight. So far, 12 people have been confirmed missing, while more than 30 buildings have been damaged. Rescue teams are searching for those trapped under the debris. More than 200 villagers have been evacuated to safer locations. A cloudburst in the Nandanagar area of Ghat tehsil late Wednesday night caused significant damage. Twelve people have been reported missing so far. The most affected village is Kuntri Laga Phali, where eight people are missing and 15 to 20 buildings and cowsheds have been damaged. Debris fell on people’s homes amid heavy rain around 3 a.m. Two women and a child rescued from the debris Police and NDRF teams rescued two women and a child from the debris. The injured have been admitted to the Nandanagar Community Health Center. Around 200 villagers have been evacuated to safety. In the village of Kuntri Laga Sarpani, two people are missing and two buildings have collapsed. Rescue teams also evacuated 100 villagers. The Moksha River in Dhurma village overflowed, leaving two people missing and damaging around 10 houses. Teams from the SDRF, NDRF, ITBP (Gauchar 8th Battalion), DDRF, and the Revenue Department are engaged in rescue operations. However, road closures and landslides are delaying teams’ arrival at the scene. Most teams are now attempting to reach the scene on foot. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed the situation in Chamoli with the Disaster Management Secretary and directed that no laxity be allowed in the search for the missing. The Chief Minister stated that the state government stands with the affected families and that arrangements for food, shelter, medical care, and security should be made in all relief camps. Upon receiving information about the incident, Secretary Disaster Management Vinod Kumar Suman, Additional Chief Executive Officer (DIG) Rajkumar Negi, and USDMA experts began monitoring the situation from the State Emergency Operations Center. All rescue teams have been activated and sent to the scene. The control room is monitoring all activities. Heavy rain is expected in the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand today. However, the plains will experience some relief. According to the forecast issued by the Meteorological Center, a yellow alert for heavy rain has been issued in some areas of Nainital, Bageshwar, and Pithoragarh districts. Additionally, light rain is expected in parts of Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Light rain is expected across the state in the coming days until September 23rd. Meteorologists say that due to climate change and changing weather patterns, this monsoon is experiencing more intense spells of rain. Meanwhile, the second-largest accident in the Doon Valley disaster occurred in Phulet village in the Maldevta area. Six people from Saharanpur are feared buried under the debris of a house. The SDRF, which reached the village after walking for seven hours, conducted a search operation throughout Wednesday. Despite this, no one was found until late evening.
