Uttarkashi Cloud Burst: There was noise of run-run... and a 15-foot-high flood swept away everything; a soldier told the horror of the disaster

Describing the horror of the disaster, Shivansh, an injured soldier from the army camp in Harshil, Uttarkashi, said, "We were working as usual when we heard the sound of 'run, run'. But before we could understand anything, a 15-foot-high flood of water and debris swept everything away."

The soldier said that he found himself in a semi-conscious state 600 meters ahead, where his fellow soldiers were rescuing him. According to the soldier, he had earlier received information about the disaster in Dharali, but he had no idea that the Telgad flowing near his camp would suddenly surge like this.

He said that during his posting, he had never seen the Telgad in such a flood. This scene was very terrifying. 21 of his soldiers were swept away in this flood.

The army camp in Harshil has suffered heavy losses in this disaster, in which, along with the soldiers, their barracks and other properties were also swept away. On Wednesday, 11 injured soldiers were taken to the Matli helipad. Some of them were referred to the district hospital, and the rest to a higher centre. 10 soldiers are still missing.

People of Dharali met the CM, making rounds of the control room in search of their relatives.

It has been more than one and a half days since the disaster struck Dharali village, but people living there are not being contacted. Villagers are constantly making rounds of the disaster management control room and the District Magistrate's office to get information about their relatives. During this time, they also met the Chief Minister and requested him to find their missing people.

Manoj Negi, Dinesh Rawat, Satendra Negi, and Sanjay Panwar of Dharali and Cholmi villages said that they have not been able to contact their relatives since the disaster. They are in a state of uncertainty due to a lack of a network in the area.

They said that there was a fair in the village on the day of the disaster, and there was also a meeting of Nav Yuvak Mangal Dal, but they have not been able to contact any member. The villagers have demanded that the administration restore electricity and the network.

Unable to contact family members

When Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami returned to the headquarters after visiting the disaster-affected area, the villagers of Dharali, led by Gangotri MLA Suresh Chauhan, met him. Talking about their missing relatives, the villagers started crying bitterly. He said that an entire family is also missing in this accident.

The number of dead increased to six: 13 people, including 11 soldiers, were rescued.

On Wednesday, the second day of the debris in Dharali village and the army camp in Harshil, the search for life started rapidly. Army, ITBP, and SDRF teams were engaged in search and rescue operations by helicopter. During this, two bodies were found, which has now increased the death toll to six. At the same time, 13 people, including 11 soldiers trapped in the debris in Harshil, have been rescued.

According to the district administration, two injured army personnel have been sent to a higher center by helicopter. 20 people, including eight local youths of Dharali, two persons of Nepali origin, and 10 army personnel, are still missing, and the search is going on. At the same time, many people say that they are not able to contact their loved ones, so there is a fear that this number may increase further.

After the flood in Dharali of Uttarkashi, the rescue operation gained momentum when the weather cleared on Wednesday afternoon. Even on the second day of the disaster in Dharali, the roads were closed at many places due to landslides. Due to this, the rescue and relief work was hindered.

Relief material, food items, and rescue equipment were transported to the Dharali area through two helicopters from the helipad located at Bhatwadi. Heavy machinery related to rescue work is being transported by army helicopters.