Uttarkashi cloudburst: 9 soldiers feared missing after mudslide hits Army camp in Harshil

At least nine Indian Army personnel are feared missing after a devastating mudslide, triggered by a cloudburst, hit an Army camp in Harshil near Dharali in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.

Lt Col Manish Shrivastava, PRO (Defence), Dehradun, said that initially 11 personnel were feared missing, but two of them have been rescued safely.

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“Despite being cut off and the base of the unit being adversely affected, and 11 personnel feared missing, the team continues to operate with unwavering determination,” Col Shrivastava said in an update on the mudslide relief operation.

He later confirmed that two personnel had been rescued and that the search for the remaining soldiers is ongoing.

The cloudburst atop a hill in the catchment area of the Kheer Ganga River triggered a massive landslide and flash flood in the Dharali area. Shortly afterwads, another cloudburst struck Sukhi Top, casuing another mudslide.

The Army camp in Harshil was cut off from the Dharali market area after the mudslide.

However, the Indian Army still managed to mobilise 150 personnel to the disaster-hit area within ten minutes for the rescue operations.

Meanwhile, the Union government has put the Indian Air Force (IAF) on high alert.

According to official sources, the IAF is ready to join the ongoing rescue operations being carried out by the Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

With several families missing, the situation in Harshil remains tense as authorities urged people to maintain a safe distance from the riverbanks and ensure the safety of children and livestock.

Rescue agencies are coordinating closely to minimise casualties and deliver timely relief in the affected regions.