Flash floods have swept away several homes and shops in northern India, killing at least four people and leaving many others trapped under debris. The disaster occurred in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand state, where floodwaters surged down a mountain and crashed into the village of Dharali.
Rescue efforts are underway, with Indian army and police personnel searching for those missing. The government has requested additional helicopters to aid in the rescue operations. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has stated that rescue agencies are working “on a war footing” to save lives and provide relief.
The region is prone to flash floods and landslides due to its location in the Himalayan mountains, where climate change has increased the frequency of cloudbursts. Similar disasters have occurred in 2013, resulting in over 6,000 deaths and 4,500 villages affected. Experts attribute the increase in cloudbursts to climate change, while unplanned development also contributes to the damage.
The flooding is part of a series of disasters that have affected the Himalayan mountains in recent months, including Pakistan and Asia as a whole. The region has seen over 300 deaths due to heavy rains and glacier melting, with losses totaling over $32 billion. Glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates across the Hindu Kush and Himalayan Mountain ranges, putting many glacial lakes at risk of overflowing.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/india-flash-flood-cloudburst-uttarakhand-221a6e3736dba9077da7cb62ec271f57