Cloudburst Traps Woman, Man Missing in India

A woman was buried in debris, while a man went missing, after a cloudburst struck Uttarakhand's Chamoli district late Friday night, causing widespread destruction. Tharali market, Kotdeep, and the Tharali tehsil complex were among

the worst-affected areas, with mud and rubble sweeping into homes, the SDM residence, and multiple buildings.

Chamoli Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Vivek Prakash confirmed the widespread damage in a video message. During the cloudburst incident on Friday, a 20-year-old woman named Kavita was buried under debris, and a man named Joshi was reported missing, said Chamoli ADM.

“There has been a lot of damage due to the flash floods. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)

teams arrived at the site last night. The road has been blocked due to thefloods, and people are facing a lot of problems. The administration is engaged in relief work. Additionally, we have established relief camps. The District Magistrate has left early in the morning and has reached the spot, and relief work is going on there,” Prakash added.

Search and rescue operations are underway to extract the woman from the debris, with the SDRF and NDRF also assisting in the rescue of anyone affected.

Speaking with ANI, Uttarakhand Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said, “Due to a cloudburst in Tharali of Chamoli district, debris has entered houses, the market, and the SDM's residence. District Magistrate and relief teams have left for the spot. Two people are reported missing.”

Praying for everyone's safety, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami mentioned that he was in contact with the district administration on relief and rescue activities.

In a post on X, CM

Dhami, “Late last night, a tragic report of a cloudburst was received in the Tharali area of Chamoli district. The district administration, SDRF, and police have reached the spot and are engaged in relief and rescue operations. In this regard, I am in constant contact with the local administration and am personally closely monitoring the situation. I pray to God for everyone's safety."

जनपद चमोली के थराली क्षेत्र में देर रात बादल फटने की दुःखद सूचना प्राप्त हुई। जिला प्रशासन, एसडीआरएफ, पुलिस मौके पर पहुंचकर राहत और बचाव कार्यों में जुटे हुए हैं।

इस सम्बन्ध में निरंतर स्थानीय प्रशासन के संपर्क में हूँ और स्वयं स्थिति की गहन निगरानी कर रहा हूं। ईश्वर से सभी के…

— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) August 23, 2025

On Saturday, theIndia Meteorological Department(IMD) issued an orange alert for the state, predicting extremely heavy

rain in various parts of the state. Isolated heavy rainfall is expected over Uttarakhand in the next s days, with isolated very heavy rainfall on Saturday and Sunday, the IMD said.