Gopeshwar, 23 August

Heavy rain overnight in Tharali town of Chamoli district sent a rain drain flooding and depositing debris at several houses and markets, an official said on Saturday.

Tunri Gadhera, a dry canal that channels excess rainwater, filled also the tehsil office with debris before joining the Pindar River.

Two people went missing in the nearby Sagwara and Chepdon market areas.

Kavita, a 20-year-old woman, was reported missing from Sagwara, and another person is missing in Chepdon, the official said.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his grief over the destruction.

Chamoli Additional District Magistrate Vivek Prakash said there was heavy damage to structures in Tharali and the surrounding areas.

Teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police were dispatched to the spot Friday night, but they have been held up due to a key road being blocked, the official said.

Prakash said the administration is setting up relief camps.

Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari left for the spot early morning, he said.

According to the Chamoli District Disaster Management Centre, the Karnaprayag-Gwaldam National Highway connecting Tharali has been closed due to debris near Ming Gadhera.

The Tharali-Sagwara motor road and the Dungri motor road have also been blocked.

Schools remained shut on Saturday in three development blocks at the government's order.

Dhami, in a post on social media, said, "I am closely monitoring the situation myself. I pray to God for everyone's safety."

The incident occurred weeks after a cloudburst wreaked havoc in the state's Uttarkashi district, killing one and causing at least 65 people to go missing.

Flash floods ravaged Dharali, around 264 km from Chamoli, burying half of the mountain village in a fast-flowing mudslide of slush, rubble, and water.

The village is the main stopover on the way to Gangotri, the origin of Ganga, and is home to several hotels and homestays.