‘Bhaag bhai bhaag’: Multiple cloudbursts leave Uttarakhand people running for life – harrowing visuals | India News

NEW DELHI: Screams echoed as people ran for their lives, roads vanished, an entire village was swept away, and homes lay submerged, such was the devastation unleashed by multiple cloudbursts that triggered flash floods across several Uttarakhand regions on Tuesday.At least 4 people died, meanwhile several remain missing. Indian Army personnel remain engaged in rescue operations across Dharali and Sukhi Top area. Harrowing visuals have surfaced, including a striking clip from Dharali showing torrents of water cascading down the hills, washing away everything in their path.Dharali is a key stopover on the route to Gangotri known for its hotels, restaurants, and homestays. It was hit by a devastating flash flood following a cloudburst in the Kheer Ganga river catchment area.“Bhaag bhai bhaag, arre bhaag bhaag!” people screamed from a distance, as a man frantically tried to wade through the thick sludge and gushing water, mere moments after a powerful flash flood flattened Uttarakhand’s Dharali village. Surrounded by the shattered remains of homes and uprooted trees, he carefully made his way through the wreckage.Another chilling video from the scene showed residents screaming and fleeing as torrents of water ripped through the hillside village. The footage captured the chaos and fear as the surging floodwaters swept away structures and debris, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake.The TOI couldn’t independently verify the video.Another visual showed the Jyotirmath-Malari motor road, which has been completely washed away near Saldhar, cutting off access to several remote areas. The damage severely impacted connectivity, posing challenges for rescue operations and the movement of essential supplies. Landslides have blocked 163 roads across the state, including five national highways, seven state highways, and two border routes, severely disrupting rescue efforts and cutting off access to the remote area, located about 140 km from Dehradun and typically a five-hour drive away.Another footage showed a village submerged by the flash floods. According to state disaster management secretary Vinod Kumar Suman, the raging waters split into two streams, surging down opposite sides of the same hill, one toward Dharali and the other toward Sukki village.Cloudbursts are among the most destructive natural disasters in the Himalayas, bringing intense rainfall over small areas in a short time. Defined by the IMD as rainfall exceeding 100 mm per hour with strong winds and lightning across 20–30 sq km, cloudbursts are part of a broader pattern of extreme weather events in the region. These events, including flash floods and avalanches, are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change.