At least four people have lost their lives, while another 50 are missing, when a massive landslide swept through an entire hillside town in northern India. The disaster was triggered by sudden torrential rainfall that caused landslides and flooding in Uttarakhand state, with tons of mud and debris sweeping away neighborhoods in the town of Darali.
Shocking videos from local television networks capture the scale of the destruction, showing muddy waters rushing down the mountain slope like a wall of water, with the landslide sweeping away houses and everything else in its path.
Residents can be heard screaming in panic, while police officers give instructions to villagers to move away from the banks of the torrent flowing through the town.
Local resident Rajesh Panwar told the local news agency PTI that around ten to twelve people may have been buried under tons of mud, while the landslide is estimated to have swept away about 20 to 25 homes and hotels.
Indian Army forces rushed to the scene for a rescue operation. The mudslide caused a “sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement,” the army wrote on X.
Soldiers “were immediately mobilized and have reached the affected area to assess the situation and undertake rescue operations,” it added.
Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister of this Indian state, said a storm had occurred in the area. “I am in constant contact with senior officials and the situation is being closely monitored,” he posted on X.
