Uttarkashi, India, August 9: At least four people have died and dozens are missing after two cloudbursts triggered flash floods in northern India’s Uttarakhand state this week, officials said on Thursday, as satellite images revealed a vast debris field burying parts of a village in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region.
The cloudbursts — one in Dharali and another in the Sukhi Top area of Uttarkashi district — struck on Tuesday afternoon, sweeping away homes and infrastructure. The Indian Army said 50 civilians and nine of its personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, remain unaccounted for. Eyewitnesses said the actual toll could be higher.
Rescue operations, slowed by bad weather earlier in the week, gathered pace on Thursday as conditions improved. More than 270 stranded people were airlifted to safety using Indian Air Force Chinook and Mi-17 helicopters, authorities said. Two bodies were recovered on Wednesday, though it was unclear if they were among the four deaths reported earlier.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said images from its Cartosat-2S satellite showed a fan-shaped deposit of debris and sediment spanning about 20 hectares at the confluence of the Kheer Gad and Bhagirathi rivers, engulfing much of Dharali village. The before-and-after images, comparing June 2024 and August 2025, indicated that river channels had widened and shifted, with many buildings submerged or swept away entirely.
ISRO said the satellite data would help guide rescue teams and restore connectivity to isolated areas. “The event highlights increasing vulnerability of Himalayan settlements to disasters,” the agency said, adding that scientific analysis was under way to determine the cause of the flooding.
