Two persons are missing after floods caused by heavy overnight rainfall in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday, reported The Indian Express.
A 20-year-old woman was reportedly buried under debris in Sagwara village, while a man was reported missing from the Chepdon market area, according to The Hindu.
The floods occurred after one to two feet of debris swept into Sangwara village’s Chepadon and Kotdeep markets.
The sudden deluge caused the Tunri Gadhera – a usually dry canal that channels excess rainwater – to overflow, sending massive amounts of debris crashing into homes and shops, PTI reported.
Two homes were severely damaged, and sludge entered 10 to 12 homes and several shops, Uttarakhand Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman, told ANI.
Rescue operations led by the State Disaster Response Force and police are underway.
However, the progress is slow due to key road connections, including the Tharali-Gwaldam route at Ming Gadhera and the Tharali-Sagwara road, being blocked.
Additional District Magistrate Vivek Prakash told PTI that temporary relief camps are being set up for displaced residents.
As a precautionary measure, schools have been closed in three development blocks of the district.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that he is in constant contact with local authorities and is closely monitoring the situation.
The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall in several districts of Uttarakhand, including Chamoli, The Indian Express reported.
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