Two killed, several feared trapped as landslide hits Uttarakhand's Chamoli district
PTC News Desk: At least two people were killed and several others are feared to be trapped under the debris after heavy rain triggered landslides and flash floods, flattening over 40 houses in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district.
All four villages come under the Nandanagar area, about 260 km from Dehradun and 50 km from Chamoli district headquarters at Gopeshwar. Nandanagar is already reeling from land subsidence.
The disaster struck Kuntari Lagaphali, Kuntari Lagasarpani, Sera, and Dhurma, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told reporters here after reviewing the situation.
"Thirty-three houses, several shops, and cowsheds were destroyed by debris in four villages -- Kuntari Lagaphali, Kuntari Lagasarpani, Sera, and Dhurma -- following heavy rain. Fourteen people are missing and around 20 have been injured," he said.
He further added that more than 200 people have been affected due to rain-related incident.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed the situation in Nandanagar through video conferencing with Chamoli District Magistrate (DM) Sandeep Tiwari from the State Emergency Operations Centre in Dehradun and instructed him to speed up relief and rescue operations in the affected regions.
Dhami directed officials to prioritise the immediate restoration of roads, drinking water, electricity, and network connectivity. He also stressed ensuring adequate arrangements for shelter, food, clean water, and other essential facilities for those affected. Additionally, he called for sufficient deployment of doctors and medicines in every impacted area to provide timely medical aid.
In the Mokh Valley, heavy rainfall caused the Moksha river to overflow, leading to severe erosion from Dhurma to Sera and damaging dozens of structures, including at least six houses, officials said.
Chamoli DM Tiwari reported that eight people, including four from the same family, are missing in Kuntari Lagaphali village after a landslide struck about six houses. Two more are missing in Dhurma village, where floodwaters from the Moksha river damaged several buildings. The access road to Nandanagar has also been blocked by debris.
Authorities said details of the missing are still being gathered, and some may be trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings.
- With inputs from agencies
