Uttarakhand battles relentless rainfall; three killed as house collapses in Almora

Incessant rainfall disrupted life across Uttarakhand, triggering landslides, rising river levels and road blockages. Three people died after a house collapsed in Almora. Orange alerts were issued for Dehradun and Tehri, while authorities launched rescue operations and cleared debris

Dehradun: Incessant rainfall across Uttarakhand has disrupted normal life, with rising water levels in rivers and drains, landslides and traffic disruptions reported from several parts of the hill state. The Meteorological Department has forecast light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorms in most parts of Uttarakhand on Tuesday.

An Orange Alert has been issued for Dehradun and Tehri districts, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall. A Yellow Alert has been issued for Pauri Garhwal, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital and Haridwar.

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Meanwhile, three members of a family were killed after their house collapsed in Vaduyya village in Almora district amid incessant rainfall. The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Tuesday when the family members were sleeping inside the house. The structure suddenly collapsed under the impact of the continuous rain.

Hearing a loud noise followed by screams, villagers rushed towards the site and immediately informed the police and local administration about the incident. Soon after receiving the information, teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, revenue department, fire services and disaster management authorities reached the spot.

A rescue operation was launched with the assistance of local villagers. After considerable effort and amid heavy debris, the rescue teams managed to pull the three victims out of the collapsed structure. However, by the time they were rescued, all three had already died.

Heavy rainfall in Almora over the past two days has already affected normal life in several areas. Roads have been disrupted at multiple locations, while the threat of landslides continues to remain high across the hilly regions.

In Dehradun, the water level of the Rispana River rose near the bridge on Mohini Road in Dalanwala at around 1 a.m. The strong current and rapidly rising water level triggered concern among residents living in nearby areas.

Police teams have been carrying out regular patrols in locations considered vulnerable to flooding and are keeping a close watch on rivers, drains and other water bodies.

Officials are also monitoring developments closely in view of the forecast for continued rainfall. The persistent rain also triggered landslides along the Mussoorie-Dehradun route on Monday.

Traffic movement was disrupted near Pani Wala Bend after debris, stones and trees fell onto the road, blocking the route. The road was subsequently cleared by the authorities and reopened for traffic.

Another landslide was reported near Galogi Dhar, where debris again spilt onto the roadway and affected vehicular movement. In view of the prevailing weather conditions, all schools from Classes 1 to 12, along with Anganwadi centres, in Dehradun and Pithoragarh have been closed on September 1 as a precautionary measure.

In Uttarkashi, the Yamunotri Highway was completely blocked near Ranachatti after debris and trees fell from the hillside. A team from the National Highways authorities reached the location and undertook clearance work. Traffic was restored after the debris was removed from the highway.

A landslide was also reported in Bageshwar, where debris blocked the Garud-Bageshwar route near Rawaikhal, disrupting traffic movement in the area. Authorities have been working to clear affected roads and restore connectivity wherever possible.