Heavy rain batters Dehradun; 15 dead, 16 missing, 900 stranded in Uttarakhand

Dehradun: Cloudbursts and heavy rains overnight left a trail of destruction in Uttarakhand's capital Dehradun and several other parts of the state on Tuesday as swollen rivers washed away buildings, roads and bridges, leaving 15 people dead, 16 missing, and 900 stranded in different locations in the hill state.

Of the total fatalities, Dehradun district alone reported 13 and Nainital and Pithoragarh districts one each. Sixteen people are reported missing in different parts of the state capital, the Uttarakhand Disaster Management Authority said.

Officials said the 13 fatalities in Dehradun included eight residents of Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad district who were crossing the Tons River in Vikasnagar tehsil on a tractor-trolley that was swept away by the strong current of the water.

Two more people from the group are reported missing, they said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a financial compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased.

Three people were also injured in rain-related incidents in Uttarakhand, officials said, adding that they are under treatment.

Search for the missing continued amid inclement weather while NDRF, SDRF and fire brigade personnel brought most of the stranded people to safety, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) here said.

It said that 900 people stranded in different locations were rescued by the SDRF, NDRF and Fire Brigade personnel.

Most rivers were in spate following the showers. The Tamsa River, also known as the Tons River, inundated the famous Tapkeshwar Temple on its bank, submerging the gigantic Hanuman statue near its entrance up to the shoulders. The temple's priest, Bipin Joshi, said that he has not seen the river waters rise so high in the past 25 to 30 years.

Luckily, there were a few devotees within the temple premises in the early morning hours when the inundation occurred, he said, adding that the priests staying at the temple are safe.

Roads were breached, and several bridges were washed away in Dehradun district.

With the swollen rivers flowing over the roads, evacuating people to safety was a huge challenge. Videos shared on social media showed SDRF personnel helping stranded people wade through the violent currents of flooded rivers in which vehicles, including cars and trucks, were left stuck.

About 400-500 students trapped due to waterlogging at the Devbhoomi Institute campus in Paundha area of Dehradun were rescued by an SDRF team, said Banshidhar Tiwari, Director General, Information.

A boy clinging precariously to an electric pole, which he had climbed to save himself from the swirling waters of a river raging below, was brought to safety by an SDRF man with the help of a rope, risking his own life.

Sahastradhara, Maldevta, Santla Devi and Dalanwala were the worst-hit by the disaster, according to the district disaster management office here. Sahastradhara received 192 mm of rain, followed by Maldevta (141.5 mm), Hathi Barkala and Jolly Grant (92.5mm each) and Kalsi (83.5 mm).

Several roads, houses and shops were damaged, and bridges washed away.

The Dehradun-Mussoorie road was also breached at several points, prompting the police to appeal to tourists and visitors to stay wherever they were for their own safety, whether in hotels, homes or homestays, till the road is restored.

Waterlogging in Tehri left people stranded at Geeta Bhawan, Tiwari said, adding that they were later rescued.

A road in Nainital was blocked by debris brought by a landslide triggered by heavy rain, an official said. Residents of Majhara village were forced to take shelter on the road, having survived what they called a landslide that hit their dwellings early in the morning. They claimed that some people have gone missing.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the rain-affected areas of Dehradun district to review the situation on the ground. Local MLAs and senior officials accompanied him.

Interacting with reporters in the rain-hit Maldevta area, he said, "All rivers are in spate following heavy rains. Roads have been breached at 25 to 30 places. Approach roads are cut off. Houses and government properties have been damaged. Normal life is severely affected. Rescue teams are working on a war footing to restore normalcy."

"The state government stands with every affected family. The administration is already on alert mode, and the NDRF, SDRF, police and local administration are active," he said.

Dhami briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the situation in Uttarakhand following heavy showers.

They assured the state of all possible help and asserted that the Union government stands firmly with the people of Uttarakhand in this hour of crisis, according to the CMO.

Heavy rains caused the Song River in Dehradun to swell, flooding nearby areas. It endangered a bridge in Maldevta, prompting the administration to respond quickly and work in coordination to restore normalcy.

Dhami reviewed the situation once again at the State Emergency Operation Centre here in the evening and asked officials to run the relief and rescue operations on a war footing.

"The government stands with every victim; no effort will be spared to provide succour to the affected people. Search for the missing continues, and stranded people are being taken to safety. Relief camps are being set up with adequate supply of food, drinking water and medicines," he said.