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Uttarkashi Cloudburst 2025: At least 5 dead and over 60 missing as flash floods wipe out Dharali village overnight.

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Aerial view of Dharali village after the Uttarkashi cloudburst showing damaged homes and flooded terrain

Uttarkashi Cloudburst 2025: It was around 12:30 AM on August 5 when a loud, unnatural roar woke the residents of Dharali, a small apple-farming village just off the road to Gangotri. Locals say it sounded like “the sky tearing open.”
Most thought it was thunder. But within minutes, a cloudburst over the Kheer Ganga catchment turned the gentle Bhagirathi tributary into a monster, crashing through homes, fields, and lives.

By morning, the village was gone. Not damaged-gone.

What was once a postcard-perfect Himalayan hamlet, dotted with wooden homestays and apple trees, now looks like a battlefield of broken wood, mangled roofs, and endless mud.

From Apple Orchards to Aftermath: A Place I Once Knew

I had visited Dharali in 2023, during apple season. I remember a boy named Karan, around 12 years old, who ran after my car to give me a small bag of green apples. His father ran a chai shop overlooking the river, where locals gathered every evening.

That spot is now just a flat stretch of mud and boulders.
The river, once calm and clear, is a dark, angry channel, still carrying debris and the occasional shattered piece of someone’s home.

Also Read: Pithoragarh Road Accident: 8 Killed as Jeep Plunges Into Gorge in Uttarakhand

Human Cost of the Uttarkashi Cloudburst 2025

As of August 6, 2025:

Survivors are in shock.

“I don’t remember how I escaped,” said Suresh Negi, a shopkeeper I had met on a previous trip. “There was no time. We just ran. Everything else — gone.”

His voice broke when he mentioned that his 9-year-old niece is still missing.

Rescue & Relief After Uttarkashi Cloudburst 2025

Rescue operations are underway, led by the Army, NDRF, SDRF, and ITBP. But rain and damaged terrain are slowing progress.

Still, there’s hope.

The authorities have issued a red alert across the district. Locals are being advised to move to higher ground and avoid riverbanks completely.

Why Did This Happen?

Cloudbursts aren’t new in Uttarakhand. But this level of destruction in such a short time? It’s becoming worryingly common.

Experts point to a deadly mix:

  1. Climate Change: Warmer air holds more moisture, leading to violent, concentrated downpours.
  2. Unchecked Construction: Hotels, cafes, and roads built too close to rivers reduce natural drainage.
  3. Deforestation: Fewer trees mean less absorption and more runoff.

“The Himalayas are crying out,” says Dr. Meera Sharma, a climate scientist at the Wadia Institute.
“We’ve built too close, too fast. What used to be a 50-year disaster cycle now feels like an annual occurrence.”

Travel Advisory for Tourists

If you’re planning to visit Uttarkashi or Gangotri:

Tourism departments have urged travelers to stay updated only through official sources.

Before and After: Dharali’s Heartbreaking Transformation

 What This Means for Uttarakhand’s Future

This disaster is more than a weather event; it’s a wake-up call.

We can’t keep selling the mountains as Instagram dreams without matching them with safe infrastructure, early warning systems, and environment-first policies.

If tourism is to survive in Uttarakhand, we must respect the land on which it depends.

How You Can Help

Final Thoughts

I’ve covered many floods.
I’ve stood in ankle-deep water in Kullu and watched Kedarnath bounce back from tragedy.
But Dharali’s disappearance was like watching a village take its last breath in the middle of the night, with no warning, no goodbye.

The mountains aren’t just landscapes, they’re homes, lives, memories.
And if we keep ignoring their warnings, more villages will vanish, just like Dharali did.

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