New Delhi.- At least four people died and dozens are missing after a flash flood caused by a “cloudburst”, a phenomenon of torrential rains, which has devastated a village in the state of Uttarakhand, in the Indian Himalayas, official sources reported.
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“Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed his deep sorrow and condolences for the serious damage,” the Chief Minister’s office said in a statement, in which it assured that he is in constant contact with senior officials and closely monitoring the situation. Rescue teams, the district administration, and other related teams are working on the front lines in relief and rescue operations, according to the authorities. Uttarkashi police have urged the population to stay away from the rivers due to the risk of further flooding. This disaster occurs at a time of maximum meteorological alert in the region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a red alert today for “extremely heavy” rainfall in several areas of the state. Uttarakhand, a mountainous and ecologically fragile region, has been hit by continuous rains during the current monsoon season, which have caused numerous landslides and floods in recent weeks. A “cloudburst” is an extreme and very localized meteorological phenomenon in which precipitation of extraordinary intensity occurs in a very short period of time. This sudden deluge is especially dangerous in mountainous areas like the Himalayas, as the enormous volume of water cannot be absorbed by the terrain, causing sudden floods, inundations, and landslides of great destructive power.
