At least five people were killed and over 20 went missing after a cloudburst late Monday night triggered torrential rain and widespread destruction in Dehradun.
DEHRADUN: The retreating monsoon has unleashed a fresh wave of devastation across Uttarakhand, particularly in the capital city of Dehradun, where a series of cloudbursts and relentless heavy rainfall have claimed at least 17 lives and left 13 people missing.
The catastrophic downpour, which began Monday night, has caused widespread destruction, washing away roads, bridges, and homes, and turning rivers into raging torrents.
According to sources from the State Disaster Response Force, the situation remains critical. “Seventeen people have died after being swept away in rivers or buried under debris at different places, while over 13 individuals remain missing,” an SDRF official stated, highlighting the grim toll. Separately, two old bodies were also recovered from the Mauth river, though their connection to the current disaster is yet to be established.
While rescue operations are underway, the district administration has officially confirmed 13 fatalities, three injuries, and 13 people reported missing as of Tuesday evening.
The Sahasradhara and Maldevta regions bore the brunt of the disaster. Rivers like Rispana and Bindal are flowing above danger levels, submerging several colonies and inundating houses with debris. Many shops and hotels have also been swept away by the raging waters.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted ground inspections of the affected areas, such as Maldevta and Kesarwala. He directed officials to expedite relief and rescue operations, assuring the affected families of full government support.
In Sahastradhara’s Karligaad area, fast-flowing mud and debris swept away eight shops and damaged hotels, leaving two people missing. A student at Green Valley PG near DIT College died when a wall collapsed, and his body was later recovered by SDRF.
Further reports indicate 13 people were swept away in the swollen Asan River, with five bodies recovered. Four individuals are feared missing in Shikhar Fall, Tapkeshwar, and one labourer died in a landslide at Mussoorie’s Jharipani toll plaza. Another scooter rider was killed by falling rocks on the Kalsi-Chakrata motor road.
Connectivity has been severely impacted. The bridge near ‘Nanda ki Chowki’ on the Dehradun-Paonta National Highway was washed away, halting traffic, and the Mussoorie-Dehradun road is closed at multiple points due to extensive landslides.
Rescue efforts are in full swing. Approximately 200 students were trapped by waterlogging at the Devbhoomi Institute campus in Paundha, Dehradun, prompting SDRF teams to launch a swift rescue operation. SDRF and NDRF teams have been deployed overnight to affected spots, shifting residents to safer locations and deploying heavy machinery for relief and search operations for the missing.
SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi told this newspaper, “Upon receiving information about the incidents, SDRF and NDRF teams reached the spots overnight. People from affected areas have been shifted to safer locations. Heavy machinery, including JCBs, has been deployed for relief and rescue work. The search for the missing is ongoing on a war footing.”
Further reports indicate that 13 people were swept away when their tractor-trolley was caught in the swollen Asan River. Five bodies have since been recovered. Four individuals are also feared to have been swept away in Shikhar Fall in Bhagat Singh Colony, Tapkeshwar. In Mussoorie, one labourer died and another was injured in a landslide at the Jharipani toll plaza.
In response to the severe conditions, Dehradun District Magistrate Savin Bansal declared a holiday for all schools (up to Class 12) and Anganwadi centers, and SDRF and relief teams remain on high alert.
Heavy rains caused the Song River to swell, flooding the nearby areas.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Sadar, Hari Giri, said, “The water level is rising, and the flow is very strong right now. No deaths have been reported so far. Tourists were staying in the hotels.”
Waterlogging has been reported in Dehradun’s IT Park area, with water entering many offices, leaving people stranded.
“I have been stranded here since 5:30 am. There is a lot of water. The car here has been stuck since last night and is submerged. Water has entered offices and basements,” said Hrithik Sharma, a local.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday spoke to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami over the phone, receiving detailed information about the situation arising from excessive rainfall in Uttarakhand.
The rain-induced disaster has also caused extensive damage to property across Dehradun district, including 13 bridges, 10 culverts, 2 houses, 31 walls, 21 roads, 7 drinking water schemes, and 24 retaining walls. Officially, natural disasters in Uttarakhand since April this year have claimed 87 lives, injured 131, and left 98 still missing.
