Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district was left reeling on Tuesday after a sudden cloudburst over the Kheer Ganga region triggered deadly flash floods and landslides, resulting in widespread damage in Dharali
village. As authorities rush to assess the damage and rescue operations continue in full swing, several celebs have expressed solidarity with the affected families.
Actor and humanitarian Sonu Sood took to social media to express his grief. “Heartbroken by the devastating floods & cloudburst in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. Prayers for every life affected,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). He added, “It’s time the nation comes together — while the govt does its part, we as individuals must stand up for every soul who lost a home, a living, a life.”
Take a look:
Heartbroken by the devastating floods & cloudburst in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.⁰Prayers for every life affected. 🙏⁰It’s time the nation comes together — while the govt does its part, we as individuals must stand up for every soul who lost a home, a living, a life. 💔🇮🇳
— sonu sood (@SonuSood) August 5, 2025
Actor Adivi Sesh also reacted to the disaster, sharing on X, “Praying for #Uttrakhand. Heartbreaking visuals.”
Praying for #Uttrakhand 🙏🏼😕 Heartbreaking visuals.
— Adivi Sesh (@AdiviSesh) August 5, 2025
According to state authorities, the cloudburst over the Kheer Gad area led to a massive surge of water and debris, overwhelming Dharali and surrounding villages. The impact was severe, with several homes, hotels, and eateries either damaged or completely washed away. Dharali, situated on the route to the pilgrimage town of Gangotri, bore the brunt of the sudden floodwaters.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, in a statement, confirmed the scale of the destruction and assured that all necessary measures were being taken. “The news of heavy damage caused by a cloudburst in the Dharali (Uttarkashi) region is extremely sad and distressing. SDRF, NDRF, district administration, and other related teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations on a war footing. In this regard, I am in constant contact with senior officials, and the situation is being closely monitored. I pray to God for everyone’s safety,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his condolences and spoke with the Uttarakhand Chief Minister to review the situation. Union Home Minister Amit Shah separately held discussions with CM Dhami to monitor rescue and relief operations.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert across nine districts of the state, forecasting very heavy rain and thunderstorms between 6 PM and 9 PM on the same day. Areas under high alert include Almora, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag, Udham Singh Nagar, and Uttarkashi.
In its advisory, the IMD urged residents in low-lying and riverbank regions to evacuate to safer areas. Specific locations under caution include Janaki Chatti, Pulam Sumda, Purola, Barahat Range, Chinyalisaur, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Karnaprayag, Lohaghat, Didihat, Munsyari, Rudrapur, Khatima, and Jaspur.
At least four deaths have been reported so far, with several people still missing. Rescue teams from the SDRF, NDRF, Indian Army, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) are deployed across the affected zones. However, operations remain hampered in certain pockets due to blocked roads and thick layers of silt left by the floodwaters.
