14 Injured, 20 Missing After Landslides In Uttarakhand's Chamoli
Fourteen people were feared trapped and 20 were injured as landslides and flooding triggered by heavy rain flattened more than 30 houses in four villages in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on Thursday.
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Rescue teams working after devastating landslides destroyed homes in Chamoli
Gopeshwar:
Heavy rainfall triggered landslides and flooding in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on Thursday, leaving fourteen people feared trapped and 20 injured. More than 30 houses across four villages were flattened by the disaster.
The affected villages are located in the Nandanagar area, approximately 260 km from Dehradun and 50 km from the district headquarters at Gopeshwar. The region has already been struggling with land subsidence issues.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed that the disaster struck the villages of Kuntari Lagaphali, Kuntari Lagasarpani, Sera, and Dhurma, as he addressed reporters following a situation review.
"Debris destroyed thirty-three houses, multiple shops, and cowsheds across the four villages — Kuntari Lagaphali, Kuntari Lagasarpani, Sera, and Dhurma — after heavy rainfall. Fourteen people are missing and approximately 20 have sustained injuries," he stated.
The rain-related incidents have affected over 200 people, according to the Chief Minister.
Dhami confirmed that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed to the affected regions, with search and rescue operations currently underway.
Critically injured victims, including a child with head trauma, are being airlifted to AIIMS, Rishikesh, the Chief Minister added.
Dhami assessed the situation in Nandanagar through video conferencing with Chamoli District Magistrate (DM) Sandeep Tiwari at the State Emergency Operations Centre in Dehradun, instructing him to expedite relief and rescue efforts in the affected areas.
The Chief Minister directed officials to promptly restore essential services including roads, drinking water, electricity and network connectivity in the rain-affected regions. He emphasized the need for adequate shelter, food, clean drinking water, and other essential provisions for disaster victims.
Dhami also ordered sufficient medical personnel and medicines to be made available in each affected area to ensure prompt healthcare services.
In the Mokh Valley area, flooding in the Moksha river caused erosion from Dhurma to Sera, damaging dozens of structures including at least six houses, officials reported.
Chamoli DM Tiwari stated that at least eight people, including four family members, are missing in Kuntari Lagaphali village, where landslides struck approximately six houses. Additionally, at least two individuals are missing in Dhurma village, where the Moksha river's raging waters damaged multiple buildings.
Access to Nandanagar has been obstructed by debris, according to the District Magistrate.
Complete details regarding all missing persons are pending. Officials believe they may be trapped beneath the rubble of damaged buildings.
Nandan Singh, a Kuntari Lagaphali resident and vice-president of the district branch of the Indian Red Cross who is participating in relief efforts, reported that swampy conditions are hampering rescue operations.
He described how torrents of mud and boulders descended from the hills at three locations in Kuntari Lagaphali, destroying everything in their path.
Some occupants managed to escape when the landslides struck the houses, though they sustained injuries, Singh noted.
Parts of Nandanagar experienced land subsidence in August, with cracks appearing in numerous house walls. Residents were subsequently relocated to safe areas.
The landslides occurred just two days after severe rain and cloudbursts in Dehradun and surrounding areas damaged roads, washed away bridges, and destroyed houses, resulting in 21 deaths and 17 missing persons.