Gopeshwar: The death toll in the cloudburst disaster in Nandanagar area of Chamoli district has risen to seven after five more bodies were recovered. Two people are still missing, and search operations are underway. On Friday, favorable weather conditions allowed relief and rescue work to be carried out on a war footing. Repair work has also begun on the pedestrian and motor roads that were destroyed in the calamity.
Food packets, ration kits, and other relief material are being airlifted by helicopter to the affected villages. A total of 84 villagers, rendered homeless after their houses were damaged, have been shifted to relief camps set up by the administration.
Meanwhile, in Dehradun, the body of one more person who had gone missing during flash floods and landslides on Monday night was recovered. With this, the death toll in Dehradun has climbed to 28, while eight people remain unaccounted for.
The disaster struck Nandanagar in the early hours of Wednesday when a cloudburst hit the Binsar hill, triggering massive destruction in five villages. Nine villagers, including a mother and her sons as well as a father-in-law and daughter-in-law, were swept away in swollen streams and debris. On Thursday, rescue teams comprising NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, police, and local administration recovered two bodies in Kuntari village.
One man was also rescued alive after being trapped under debris for nearly 16 hours. Search operations continued on Friday, leading to the recovery of four more bodies from Kuntari village — a woman and her two sons, along with another resident. In Sarapani village, another woman’s body was found buried under the rubble.
Two people — a 78-year-old man and his 38-year-old daughter-in-law from Dhurma village — are still missing, with additional personnel deployed to assist in the search.
Bodies recovered on Friday:
- Kanta Devi, wife of Kunwar Singh (Kuntari)
- Vikas, son of Kunwar Singh (Kuntari)
- Vishal, son of Kunwar Singh (Kuntari)
- Deveshwari Devi, wife of Dilbar Singh (Kuntari)
- Bhaga Devi, wife of Jagdamba Prasad (Sarapani)
Still missing:
- Guman Singh (78), Dhurma
- Mamta Devi (38), Dhurma
Survivor airlifted to hospital
Kunwar Singh, who miraculously survived after being trapped under debris for 16 hours, was airlifted to Srinagar Medical College on Friday due to his critical condition. He was initially admitted to a community health center on Thursday. Doctors have reported that his health is improving, but he continues to ask about his wife and two sons, whose bodies were recovered the following day.
District officials supervising relief operations
District Magistrate Dr. Sandeep Tiwari and Superintendent of Police Sarvesh Panwar have been camping in the disaster-hit area for the past two days, personally overseeing relief operations. On Friday, they inspected relief camps, interacted with affected villagers, and assured them of all necessary assistance including food and medical care.
Road and relief restoration underway
According to the DM, the Sera–Dhurma road had been completely washed out but efforts are being made to restore it quickly. Road connectivity up to Kuntari village has been re-established, and work is ongoing to rebuild damaged stretches and restore footpaths for easier access. Relief distribution and rehabilitation efforts are continuing at full speed.
Senior officials including SDMs R.K. Pandey and Sohan Singh Rangan, Deputy SP Amit Kumar Saini, Tehsildar Deepti Shikha, along with other officers and employees, are also present in the affected region to support the ongoing operations.
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