Sixty-six people are still missing following Indian flash floods

(MENAFN) At least 66 individuals are still unaccounted for a week after flash floods struck Uttarakhand, a northern state in India, according to official updates.

So far, only one body has been found, revising an earlier report that had listed four fatalities.

Nearly half of Dharali village was inundated on August 5 due to a mudslide triggered by heavy rains and sudden flooding. Nearby, an army camp sustained significant damage as well.

Search and rescue teams continue to work at the disaster site, but efforts have been hampered by poor weather conditions and a blocked main highway caused by the mudslide.

Uttarakhand has endured weeks of intense rainfall, with the Uttarkashi district—where Dharali is located—among the hardest hit by flooding.

Officials report that about 1,300 people have been rescued from the area around Dharali since the disaster began.

Last week’s heavy rains caused the Kheerganga river to swell dramatically, sending massive torrents of muddy water cascading down the hillsides, engulfing roads, buildings, and shops in Dharali and the nearby village of Harsil.

Footage captured a huge surge of water sweeping through the region, destroying structures rapidly and leaving residents with little time to flee.

The state’s chief minister and other local leaders initially attributed the floods to a cloudburst, although India’s meteorological department has yet to verify this.

Vinay Shankar Pandey, a senior official in the area, stated that “a team of 10 geologists has been sent to the village to determine the cause of the flash floods.”

MENAFN12082025000045017281ID1109916420