No fewer than 100 people are missing and at least one has died after devastating flash floods in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.
Rescue activities are underway in Uttarkashi district after a big wave of water swept down the slopes into Dharali hamlet on Tuesday, burying roads and structures in its path.
According to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, approximately 190 persons have been rescued thus far in the impacted region.
A cloudburst is a quick and intense rainfall of rain over a narrow region, which frequently causes flash floods.
Heavy rain and damaged roads have hampered rescue teams from reaching Dharali. On Wednesday, Dhami flew in by helicopter and met some of the affected families.
Uttarakhand, home to Dharali village, has been among the worst hit by flooding.
The floods struck on Tuesday around 13:30 India time (08:00 GMT), causing the Kheerganga river to swell dramatically and send tonnes of muddy water crashing down the hills.
Lagos asks Lekki, Ikorodu residents to temporarily relocate over flash flooding
FG warns of severe five-day flooding across 19 states
Dharali, a summer tourist destination 2 kilometres from Harsil, is home to a significant Indian army post and an Indo-Tibetan Border Police camp.
According to officials, at least ten soldiers stationed at the army installation have gone missing.
Rescue attempts are delayed because to the heavy mud and debris, but officials have deployed aircraft to assist.
The muck has also blocked a portion of the Bhagirathi River, which becomes India’s holiest river, the Ganges, as it flows downstream, creating an artificial lake that has inundated significant regions, including a government helipad.
Officials are concerned that if the water is not evacuated promptly, it may pose a major threat to towns and villages downstream.
India’s weather department has projected heavy rain and recommended people avoid landslide-prone areas. Some schools have shuttered across the state.
Officials have issued repeated rain alerts in recent days, discouraging tourists from entering the region.
Dharali receives fewer visitors during the rainy season. The minimal footfall and warnings likely kept tourists safe during the downpour. Residents warn that a larger throng could have exacerbated the calamity.
Uttarakhand, located in the western Himalayas, is particularly vulnerable to flash floods and landslides.
In 2021, more than 200 people died in flash floods caused by a cloudburst.
One of the deadliest calamities to strike Uttarakhand occurred in 2013, when a cloudburst brought devastating floods and landslides, destroying several villages and towns.
Much of the destruction occurred in Kedarnath, a renowned Hindu pilgrimage destination. Thousands of people were swept away, and many bodies were never found.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
