At least 20 hotels washed away, fear locals, as flash flood consumes Uttarakhand village near Gangotri | Latest News India

Locals fear more than 20 hotels and homestays have been washed away in a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Dharali village near Gangotri on Tuesday.

The tragedy in the Himalayan valley near Harsil in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district was caught on several videos, which showed the sheer scale of the devastation.

The cloudburst took place in the catchment of a local stream that joins the Bhagirathi river.

At least 10 people were buried under the debris, Rajesh Panwar, a local resident, told PTI, adding that 20-25 hotels and homestays may have been swept away.

Dharali is among the last stops for pilgrims on way to Gangotri, the spot from where Bhagirathi, the sources stream of the holy Ganga, originates. Several villages, including Dharali, in this part of the Garhwal region are popular among tourists for their natural beauty too.

The flash flood, which struck around 1:40pm on Tuesday, sent a sudden surge of boulders, debris, and mud sweeping through the area, demolishing houses, shops, homestays, and hotels.

Eyewitnesses and officials described the incident as reminiscent of the 2021 Chamoli disaster, in which more than 200 people had died.

So far, at least four people were reported dead, but the toll could rise.