Dehradun, Sept 18 :
The toll in Dehradun cloudbursts and heavy rains has reached 24, while 16 people are still missing. The sudden downpour late Wednesday night caused heavy debris flow in Nanda Nagar, reducing six buildings to rubble.
Teams from Uttarakhand SDRF, NDRF, and the Public Works Department have been deployed, with JCB machines and other equipment pressed into service to clear debris and aid relief efforts. While search and rescue operations continue despite extremely adverse conditions, relentless rain and difficult terrain are severely hampering rescue efforts.
The weather department has also issued a warning of more heavy rainfall in the coming days. Locals reported that several residents are still believed to be trapped inside their homes following the cloudburst. Authorities have deployed teams on the
Dehradun cloudburst
ground to locate the missing, even as the threat of further landslides looms large.
The Kalsi-Chakrata motorway has been completely closed following a landslide at Jajared, leading to long queues of vehicles travelling from Vikasnagar to Chakrata and vice versa. A massive landslide near Chapnu Mod on the route has left a large amount of debris.
“The #UttarakhandPolice SDRF dog squad team is continuously conducting intensive searching in the Carligad area of Dehradun for the missing people due to the cloudburst,” the Uttarakhand Police shared on X. The incident comes just four days after a devastating cloudburst in Dehradun’s Sahastradhara, which killed at least 13 people, swept away roads, damaged shops and homes, and destroyed two major bridges. That disaster had cut off multiple routes linking the state capital with surrounding regions. The Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple in Dehradun also suffered extensive damage after the Tamsa River, swollen by torrential rains and a cloudburst in Sahastradhara, inundated the temple premises. Several feet of sand and debris entered the temple complex, submerging the Shivling and leaving deep cracks in the walls.
In response to the worsening situation, the state government has issued a red alert for Dehradun, Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Ptihoragarh and Chamoli, cautioning residents about the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall, further landslides, infrastructure collapse, and rising fatalities through September 20.
