Dehradun woke up to scenes of chaos after a sudden cloudburst late Monday night turned parts of the city into rivers of mud and debris.
Torrential rain
submerged homes in Tapovan, left entire stretches of Sahastradhara and the IT Park waterlogged, and washed away a key bridge.
Here’s a closer look at how the disaster unfolded, the destruction it left behind, and how rescue teams are battling to bring the city back on its feet.
The heavy downpour has caused river streams to swell to their limits.
The Tamsa River on Tuesday swelled and flooded the Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple, one of Dehradun’s most prominent shrines. Water entered the temple courtyard and rose up to the statue of Hanuman, though the sanctum remained safe.
#WATCH | Uttarakhand | Tamsa river in spate and Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple inundated as heavy rainfall lashes Dehradun.
Temple priest Acharya Bipin Joshi says, "The river started flowing heavily since 5 AM, the entire temple premises were submerged... This kind of situation had… pic.twitter.com/4E6PhKBM6K
— ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2025
Social media was soon flooded with videos showing the river in Sahastradhara raging with unusual force.
This place is 5 minutes from my sister's house in Dehradun. This morning cloudburst has been truly scary and the entire hillside has lost power. pic.twitter.com/vrw7EUThE6
— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) September 16, 2025
Nature's beauty carries its own fury.
Last night in Sahastradhara, Dehradun, the gentle streams turned into a furious river. A sudden #cloudburst washed away the calm and left fear in its place. I pray the missing return safely and the mountains find their silence again.
🌧🙏 pic.twitter.com/ahgjh8NI2x
— Yash Tiwari (@DrYashTiwari) September 16, 2025
According to The Indian Express, at least five people were swept away in different parts of the city, including Tapkeshwar, DIT College area, Rajpur Shikhar Falls and Bhagat Singh Colony.
Two people are still reported missing, while hundreds have been shifted to safer places after streams burst their banks, damaging shops, homes, and restaurants.
#WATCH | Uttarakhand: River Sahastradhara flooded due to heavy rains in Dehradun since last night. Debris came into the main market, causing damage to hotels and shops. pic.twitter.com/f4WoAOWleP
— ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2025
One video captured a harrowing scene: about 10 labourers clinging to a tractor stranded in the middle of the raging river. From a distance, the men could be seen waving desperately for help as people on the banks scrambled to work out a rescue plan.
But before anything could be done, the swollen river overturned the tractor, sweeping the labourers away. Onlookers on the shore ran frantically, their screams echoing as the men vanished beneath the torrent.
खनन करने वाले भी टोंस नदी मे बह गये..#Dehradun #uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/3v7xw670Mf
— Neeru Joshi (@neeruJoshii) September 16, 2025
Charred remains of a house after heavy rains triggered a cloudburst in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. PTI
Rescue teams have been working around the clock. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and Public Works Department (PWD) have all been deployed.
On Tuesday morning, SDRF personnel rescued around 200 students from the Devbhoomi Institute in Paunda after their campus was heavily waterlogged overnight, reported Hindustan Times. All students were safely evacuated.
VIDEO | Sahastradhara Cloudburst: SDRF rescues students from Devbhoomi Institute, Dehradun.#Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/wm5Eg2HUqf
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 16, 2025
An NDRF personnel rescues a man stranded on an electric pole as a river flows in spate following a cloudburst, near Prem Nagar in Dehradun, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025
The District Magistrate also ordered all schools in Dehradun, from Classes 1 to 12, to remain closed due to the worsening situation.
In Rishikesh, the Chandrabhaga river swelled dangerously, flooding the highway. SDRF teams rescued three people trapped in the river, though several vehicles remain stuck.
An area inundated as the Chandrabhaga river flows in spate due to heavy rains, in Rishikesh, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. PTI
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert around 5 am on Tuesday, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms with lightning, and spells of extremely intense rain.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) also flagged the heightened risk of landslides and flash floods in sensitive parts of the district.
“In view of the current weather across the district, there is an increased likelihood of landslides and flash floods in sensitive areas, which may lead to untoward incidents,” District Magistrate Savin Bansal said in a circular citing the IMD forecast.
Meanwhile, in Dehradun, infrastructure has taken a heavy hit. A bridge at Maldevta was washed away, blocking traffic, while debris from landslides has choked sections of the Mussoorie–Dehradun Road. Authorities have advised tourists not to use the route until it is cleared.
Severe cloud burst near Dehradun has caused massive destruction,many bridges and roads incl those between Haridwar-Dehradun, Dehradun-Mussoorie have collapsed or heavily damaged, 2 persons are said to be missing, hotels and shops destroyed @narendramodi ji too much urbanization… pic.twitter.com/jQV1VNh6Ul
— Mona kanwal (@monakaran) September 16, 2025
#WATCH | Uttarakhand: Due to the heavy rainfall since last night, the bridge near Fun Valley and Uttarakhand Dental College on the Dehradun–Haridwar National Highway has been damaged.
(Source: Police) pic.twitter.com/4dHTscMg7G
— ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2025
A portion of the Premnagar bridge on the Dehradun–Paonta National Highway also collapsed, bringing traffic to a standstill on that route.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the affected areas on Tuesday, accompanied by MLAs and senior officials. He later confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him of full cooperation from the Centre, saying the Union government “stands firmly with Uttarakhand in this hour of disaster.”
#WATCH | Dehradun: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami says, "Due to the heavy rains last night, all the rivers here are in spate and cloudburst has occurred in many places. Roads have been completely washed away at about 25-30 places. Houses have suffered a lot. Government… https://t.co/K71i1f8km5 pic.twitter.com/I7uo0e3ec5
— ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2025
Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke to Dhami, promising every possible assistance from the Home Ministry to support relief and rescue operations.
With input from agencies
