A sudden flood causing a mud torrent struck a city in the Himalayan region in northern India, killing at least four people and around 100 missing, said a defense minister.
“This is a serious situation … We have received information reporting four deaths and approximately 100 people missing. We pray for their security,” said Sanjay Seth, Minister of State for Defense, to the press agency Press Trust of India (PTI).
Videos broadcast on the Indian media show muddy waters Take residential buildings in Dharali, a tourist place in the northern state of Uttarakhand. We see several people running before being swallowed up by dark waves crowded with debris destroying whole buildings.
Pushkar Singh Dhami, chief minister of this border state of Nepal said that rescue teams were mobilized.
The mud to the roof of houses
“A huge landslide struck Dharali … triggering a sudden flow of water and debris,” said the army.
On images made public by the army, showing the site after the occurrence of the disaster, one could see a river of mud flowing slowly.
A large part of the city was overwhelmed, and in places, the mud reached the roofs of the houses.
“Research and rescue efforts are underway, and all the available means deployed to locate and evacuate people who are still trapped,” said Suneel Bartwal army spokesperson.
Alert
The chief minister Dhami said the flood was due to sudden and intense precipitation.
The Indian weather services had issued an alert due to heavy rains in the Uttarakhand, adding that it has recorded 21 cm of precipitation in isolated areas of this State.
The deadly floods and the landslides are common during the monsoon season from June to September in India. Experts claim that climate change increases their intensity and frequency.
This article was published automatically. Sources: ATS / AFP
