10 missing as landslide, flooding hit chamoli villages after heavy rain

Ten people are missing after a landslide flattened houses in a village and a river flooded another following heavy rain on Thursday in Chamoli district's Nandanagar, which is already reeling from land subsidence.

Eight people, including four members of a family, are missing in Kuntari village, where the landslide hit about half a dozen houses. The other two are from Dhurma village, where the raging waters of the Moksha river damaged multiple buildings, Chamoli District Magistrate (DM) Sandeep Tiwari said.

In Kuntari, local relief and rescue teams are conducting a search operation for those missing. The access road to Nandanagar has been blocked by debris, the DM said.

According to a list issued by the district disaster management office, those missing have been identified as Kunwar Singh (42), his wife Kanta Devi (38) and their two sons Vikas and Vishal (both aged 10), Narendra Singh (40), Jagdamba Prasad (70) and his wife Bhaga Devi (65), and Deveshwari Devi (65).

A local resident and the vice-president of the district branch of the Indian Red Cross, Nandan Singh, who is involved in the relief and rescue operations, said the swamp is hampering the rescue operation.

More than 10 people were injured but transporting them to the hospital is difficult as the road to Nandanagar is closed at several places, he said.

"We are waiting for helicopters to airlift the injured to hospital," he said.

Torrents of mud and boulders rolled down from the hills at three locations in Kuntari, destroying everything in their way, he added.

When the landslide hit the houses, Singh said, some of the people inside managed to escape. They sustained injuries, he said.

In the Mokh Valley area, heavy rain triggered flooding in the Moksha river, causing erosion in it from Dhurma to Sera, damaging dozens of buildings, including six houses. Two persons are missing.

Those missing in Dhurma have been identified as Guman Singh (75) and Mamta Devi (38), the district disaster management office said.

National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force teams, along with a medical team and three ambulances, have been rushed to the spot, it said.

Land subsidence hit parts of Nandanagar in August, with cracks appearing in the walls of many houses. Their residents were shifted to safe locations.

In a post on X, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "Sad news of damage to nearby homes due to heavy rainfall in the Nandanagar Ghat area of Chamoli district has been received. Teams from the local administration, @uksdrf, and police immediately reached the spot and are engaged in relief and rescue operations."  "I am in constant touch with the administration and closely monitoring the situation. I pray for everyone's safety," he said.

The landslide comes two days after heavy rain and cloudbursts in Dehradun and nearby areas breached several roads, washed away bridges and damaged houses, killing 13 people and leaving 16 missing.