Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) [India], August 7: Rescue operations in disaster-hit areas of Uttarkashi intensified following a cloudburst and mudslide that left several people stranded near Dharali, officials said.
Speaking to ANI, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) DIG Gambhir Singh Chauhan said that helicopter services have been deployed to evacuate those trapped. Multiple agencies, including the Indian Army, NDRF, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and local administration, are coordinating efforts both on the ground and in the air.
"We have four teams, but since all the roads have been blocked and damaged, they couldn't reach Dharali. Yesterday, 35 personnel were able to reach via helicopters. With the helicopter services beginning, the to-and-fro movement of personnel and evacuees has begun. There was a communication issue as well, but since this morning, our satellite phones have been working. State administration, army, ITBP, NDRF, and SDRF and even local people are helping each other in the search and rescue operations," Chauhan said.
Drone visuals from Bhatwari, en route to Dharali, captured extensive road damage caused by the cloudburst and mudslide, which severely hampered early rescue efforts.

Survivors, many of whom were pilgrims headed to Gangotri, recounted their experiences and expressed gratitude for the timely rescue efforts.
Arohi Mehra, a tourist from Jalgaon, Maharashtra, said, "I was very scared when all of this happened. The villagers helped us a lot. We got a lot of strength when we saw our jawans of the Indian Army."
Another tourist, Rupesh Mehra, also from Jalgaon, highlighted the logistical hurdles faced by the rescue teams. "Roads have been blocked there. We were rescued with helicopters. We got a lot of help from all the agencies deployed there, and we were taken out from there," he said.
Anamika Mehra, part of the same group, recalled the moments following the disaster. "When the incident took place, we were near Dharali. We were on our way to Gangotri for darshan... The next day, the entire country was there to support us. All the teams reached there to rescue us. I want to thank the Indian Army and the Uttarakhand Police. I want to salute the Uttarakhand Govt for providing us with heli service immediately and rescuing us," Mehra told ANI.
Earlier, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami interacted with the rescue team in Uttarkashi before it departed to carry out operations in areas severely affected by the recent cloudburst and heavy rainfall.
The Uttarakhand CM met the personnel deployed for relief and rescue efforts and encouraged the members of the rescue team.
On Wednesday, around 190 people were rescued from Dharali following a devastating cloudburst that triggered massive flash floods and landslides in the area, with the Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), along with ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, BRO, and local volunteers engaged in a joint rescue and relief operation to search for the missing.
The rescue and relief operations in the affected areas are in full swing.