10 Missing After Landslide, Flooding In Chamoli Villages In Uttarakhand

Ten people are missing after a landslide struck a village and a river overflowed due to heavy rainfall in Chamoli district's Nandanagar on Thursday. The area, already affected by land subsidence, has been further impacted, PTI reported.

Eight people are missing from Kuntari village, four of which are from the same family. Chamoli District Magistrate (DM) Sandeep Tiwari said that the other two are from Dhurma village, where the raging waters of the Moksha river damaged multiple buildings. 

The DM said that rescue teams and local relief organisations are conducting a search operation for the mission people. According to a list issued by the district disaster management office, those missing have been identified as Kunwar Singh (42), his wife Kanta Devi (38) and their two sons Vikas and Vishal (both aged 10), Narendra Singh (40), Jagdamba Prasad (70) and his wife Bhaga Devi (65), and Deveshwari Devi (65).

The access to the Nandnagar road has been blocked due to debris. The closure has restricted the authorities’ ability to transport more than 10 people who have been injured. 

"We are waiting for helicopters to airlift the injured to hospital," said Nandan Singh, a local resident and the vice-president of the district branch of the Indian Red Cross. 

Torrents of mud and boulders rolled down from the hills at three locations in Kuntari, destroying everything in their way, he added. 

In a post on X, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "Sad news of damage to nearby homes due to heavy rainfall in the Nandanagar Ghat area of Chamoli district has been received. Teams from the local administration, @uksdrf, and police immediately reached the spot and are engaged in relief and rescue operations. I am in constant touch with the administration and closely monitoring the situation. I pray for everyone's safety.”

With PTI inputs