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Dehradun: What began as a joyful birthday trip to the hills turned into a fight for survival for four young men from Dehradun and Bareilly. On August 5, they were swept away by a sudden flash flood near Harsil, in Uttarkashi district, while heading toward the Gangotri shrine.
As reported by The Times of India, this group included Amritansh Kumar, a 21-year-old BCA student from DIT University, Dehradun, who had planned the trip to celebrate his birthday. He was joined by Alok Gangwar from Bareilly and two other friends. They left Dehradun late Monday and reached Uttarkashi by nightfall. By Tuesday afternoon, disaster struck.
Vehicle was caught in the flash flood
While driving through the hills, their vehicle was caught in the flash flood triggered by the cloudburst in Dharali. The car was swept off the road, and the group barely escaped with their lives. Their phones, bags, and belongings were lost in the floodwaters. Stranded in a remote stretch of the Himalayas, they had no way to contact their families or call for help.
For the rest of the day and the entire night, their families had no idea where they were. Amritansh’s brother, Aadarsh Kumar, rushed from Lucknow to Dehradun after hearing about the floods. “We kept trying to call them, but none of the phones were reachable,” he said. “There was no word until Wednesday morning.”
Group was airlifted to Uttarkashi in an Mi-17 helicopter
Finally, a brief phone call came through. The Army had reached them and taken them to a temporary camp. Though the network was weak, the message was clear—they were safe. Later that evening, the group was airlifted to Uttarkashi in an Mi-17 helicopter, along with other rescued people. They are expected to reach Dehradun by road on Thursday.
The rescue was part of a larger operation involving the Indian Army, ITBP, SDRF, and NDRF, who have been working tirelessly in the flood-hit region. The flash floods have caused widespread damage in Dharali and nearby areas, with dozens still missing and roads washed away.
So far, five people have died and over 70 are missing after flash floods hit Dharali in Uttarkashi. Moreover, rescue teams have saved 190 people.
