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Landslides, blocked roads hamper Indian flood rescue effort

Rescuers fought heavy rains and blocked roads on Wednesday in India's Himalayan State of Uttarakhand, after four people died in sudden flooding and land slides the day before. Dozens were left missing and a village was submerged in sludge.

Media and authorities reported that teams of army and disaster forces used heavy machinery in their struggle to reach Dharali village, where homes, roads and mud were submerged under a flood.

The Indian Army reported that 70 people were rescued on Wednesday. State Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami, however, told news agency ANI that 130 people had been rescued in the previous evening.

Television images showed that rescuers crossed a violently gushing stream using a zipline, while others shifted rocks and mud by hand to search for people buried beneath the sludge.

The number of missing people is unknown. "The relief efforts continued throughout the night," said Colonel Harshavardhan, the rescue leader.

We are trying to save people and get them to safety.

Dharali is a small hamlet in Uttarkashi district, with a population of 200, located more than 1,150 meters (3,775 feet) above sea-level. It's a popular tourist destination and a pit stop for Hindu pilgrims en route to Gangotri.

WALL OF WATER

Media reported that residents of nearby villages heard an audible rumble Tuesday afternoon, before a wall crashing of water smashed into Dharali.

Sunita Dev, a resident of Mukha village, told Hindustan Times that she heard a piercing noise like boulders grinding. "And then, we saw the Kheerganga river transform into a monstrous monster."

District administrator Prashant Anrya said that the roads to the area were blocked or crumbled, making it difficult to bring rescue teams in from other parts of the state.

Satellite phones were used by rescue workers after the floods to communicate with each other because they had been unable to connect to mobile towers and electricity.

NDTV reported that 11 personnel are missing from a camp of the army in Harsil. It is located 4 km (2 miles) away from Dharali and was also affected by flash flooding.

The central command of the army announced on X that more troops are being mobilised, along with tracker dogs and drones. They will also be using earthmoving equipment.

Uttarakhand has a high risk of flooding and landslides. Some experts attribute this to climate change.

The absence of heavy rainfall in the area Tuesday prompted weather experts and geologists to tell the media that the cause needed to be investigated. They also suspected it could be an outburst glacial lake flood. (Written by Shilpa jamkhandikar, edited by YPrajesh and Clarence Fernandez).

(source: Reuters)