Uttarakhand Cloudburst: 8 Missing, Bridges Washed Away, Temples Submerged In Chamoli, Rudraprayag

A night of relentless rain turned disastrous in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts, where sudden cloudbursts sent torrents of water and debris crashing through villages, sweeping away homes, livestock, and bridges. At least eight people are reported missing, with many others injured and stranded as swollen rivers threaten to swallow more ground.

Uttarakhand Faces Torrential Cloudburst

A massive cloudburst struck Tharali village in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.

How many people died??

Several people are feared missing, and multiple houses were destroyed as a powerful stream of water surged down the hillside#Uttarakhand #Uttarkashi #Cloudburst #Dharali pic.twitter.com/TQe1CkRkZy

— Sumit (@SumitHansd) August 5, 2025

According to India Today, in Chamoli’s Dewal block, tragedy struck Mopata village recently. Two residents, Tara Singh and his wife were reported missing after a wall of water and mud tore through their home. Their neighbours, Vikram Singh and his wife, survived but were badly injured. The family’s cowshed collapsed, burying nearly 20 cattle under layers of rubble. 

The destruction in Rudraprayag has been no less violent. Six people are unaccounted for after heavy downpours in Basukedar, while in Kedarnath valley’s Lawara village, a bridge that connected the motor road was swept away in seconds, leaving residents cut off. 

At Chenagad, floodwaters surged straight into homes, forcing families to abandon everything. Even the centuries-old Hanuman temple in Rudraprayag town, usually a safe vantage point above the river, now lies submerged.

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Rescue Teams Arrive; CM Assures The State

District Magistrate Prateek Jain tried to strike a reassuring note, saying that four houses washed away in Basukedar had been evacuated in time, and no lives were lost there. Still, officials admit that the sheer force of the rainfall and rising river levels make the situation volatile.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami called the reports “heartbreaking,” adding in a late-night post on X that both districts had been hit by “cloudburst and debris flow” and that families were trapped. He said that rescue operations were being run “on a war footing” and that he was personally in touch with disaster management authorities.

Meanwhile, heavy rains have disrupted life beyond the immediate disaster zones. In Haldwani, a massive landslide near the Rani Bagh bridge shut down the Haldwani–Bhimtal road, stranding vehicles and cutting off traffic. Schools across Rudraprayag, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Haridwar, and Pithoragarh were ordered shut for the day as a precaution, as stated by India Today. 

Also Read: Monsoon Fury In North India: Uttarakhand Village Wiped Out In Seconds, Flood Warnings In UP

With the monsoon still hovering over Uttarakhand, officials warn that the next 48 hours will be critical. Rescue teams are battling blocked roads, rising water, and difficult terrain, while villagers cling to higher ground, watching the rivers inch closer to their homes.

Cover Image Courtesy: sumithansd/X