Chamoli Flash Floods: Ten Missing After Landslide Razed Homes
Heavy rains trigger landslides and floods in Chamoli, leaving villagers missing.
In a devastating turn of events amid relentless monsoon fury, ten individuals have gone missing after a massive landslide razed homes in Kuntari village and flash floods from the Moksha river inundated Dhurma village in Chamoli district's Nandanagar area. This latest calamity has compounded the woes of a region already battered by land subsidence since August, where cracks have rendered numerous homes uninhabitable and forced evacuations.
The tragedy unfolded early Thursday when torrential downpours unleashed walls of mud, boulders, and debris from hillsides at three points in Kuntari, obliterating at least six houses and trapping residents inside. Eight people from this village are unaccounted for, including Kunwar Singh (42) and his wife Kanta Devi (38) with their young sons Vikas and Vishal (both 10), Narendra Singh (40), elderly couple Jagdamba Prasad (70) and Bhaga Devi (65), and Deveshwari Devi (65). Miraculously, some occupants escaped the collapsing structures but sustained injuries in the chaos.
In the nearby Mokh Valley, the swollen Moksha river surged violently, eroding riverbanks from Dhurma to Sera and demolishing dozens of buildings, including six homes. Two more villagers, Guman Singh (75) and Mamta Devi (38), are missing in the floodwaters. Over ten others were injured across both sites, but rescue efforts are severely hampered by blocked access roads choked with debris and swampy terrain, making ground transport nearly impossible.
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Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari confirmed that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), medical teams, and three ambulances have been deployed urgently. "We're awaiting helicopters to airlift the injured to hospitals, as roads to Nandanagar remain severed at multiple points," he stated. Local relief teams are combing the wreckage, but the ongoing instability poses risks to rescuers.
Nandan Singh, a resident and vice-president of the district's Indian Red Cross branch, who is aiding operations, described the scene as heart-wrenching: "The landslide struck without warning, burying families under tons of earth. Swamps are slowing us down, but we're not giving up." He highlighted the broader impact, noting that the subsidence since August has already displaced hundreds, leaving the community vulnerable to such disasters.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief on X (formerly Twitter), posting: "Sad news of damage to nearby homes due to heavy rainfall in the Nandanagar Ghat area of Chamoli district has been received. Teams from the local administration, @uksdrf, and police immediately reached the spot and are engaged in relief and rescue operations. I am in constant touch with the administration and closely monitoring the situation. I pray for everyone's safety."
This disaster strikes just two days after deadly cloudbursts and heavy rains in Dehradun and surrounding areas claimed 13 lives, left 16 missing, and caused widespread infrastructure damage, including breached roads and washed-away bridges. Experts warn that climate change is intensifying such extreme weather events in the fragile Himalayan region, urging better preparedness and infrastructure resilience. Rescue operations continue around the clock, with hopes fading as night falls, but authorities remain committed to finding the missing and providing aid to the affected families.
