Heavy rainfall disrupted rescue operations in Uttarakhand, a Himalayan state in India, on Wednesday (Aug 6), following sudden floods and landslides that claimed four lives and left dozens unaccounted for. Rescue teams from the army and disaster response forces faced challenges in reaching Dharali village — a well-known stopover for tourists heading to the Hindu pilgrimage site of Gangotri — as landslides blocked key highways and persistent rain battered the area, according to local media and officials.

“The exact number of missing persons is still unclear, but relief operations have continued overnight. We are working to evacuate people and move them to safety,” said Colonel Harshavardhan, who is overseeing the rescue mission, in a post shared on X by the Indian Army. Reports from NDTV stated that the army’s Harsil camp, located four kilometers from Dharali, was also affected by flash floods, with eleven army personnel reported missing. “To accelerate rescue efforts, additional army units equipped with tracker dogs, drones, logistics drones, and earth-moving machinery have been deployed to Harsil,” the army’s central command announced on X.

Television footage showed torrents of floodwater and mud cascading down the mountain into Dharali village, destroying homes and roads while residents fled for their lives. A video released by the state chief minister’s office revealed a massive mudslide that split through Dharali, burying several homes. Uttarakhand frequently experiences floods and landslides, which experts partly attribute to the effects of climate change.