“WAKE-UP CALL”
India’s army said 150 troops had reached the town, helping rescue around 20 people who had survived the wall of freezing sludge.
“A massive mudslide struck Dharali … triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement,” the army said.
Images released by the army, taken from the site after the main torrent had passed, showed a river of slow-moving mud.
A wide swath of the town was swamped by deep debris. In places, the mud lapped at the rooftops of houses.
State Disaster Response Force commander Arpan Yaduvanshi said the mud was 15m deep in places, swamping some buildings entirely.
“Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, with all available resources being deployed to locate and evacuate any remaining stranded persons,” army spokesman Suneel Bartwal said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences in a statement, and said that “no stone is being left unturned in providing assistance”.
Chief Minister Dhami said the flood was caused by a sudden and intense “cloudburst”, calling the destruction “extremely sad and distressing”.
Source: CNA
