Toddler killed; family members missing amid heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand

Key points

• Pauri District Magistrate Swati Bhadoria visited the district disaster control room on Tuesday and reviewed the situation in affected areas.
• Residents launched an immediate rescue effort and pulled out a woman alive before the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and…
• While another machine was sent to restore traffic on the Gumkhal-Dwarikhal-Mahargaon route, after Bhadoria's intervention, the Satpuli-Gumkhal road was reopened…
• Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar said multiple agencies had worked continuously under challenging conditions inside the tunnel.

While two family members remain missing under the debris of a two-storey house that collapsed amid heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal region on Tuesday, DEHRADUN: A two-year-old child was killed.

The house collapsed in Mahargaon village following intense rainfall, trapping four members of a family.

Residents launched an immediate rescue effort and pulled out a woman alive before the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police reached the site.

The injured woman was rushed to Hans Hospital in Satpuli, where she is undergoing treatment. Rescuers later recovered the body of a toddler.

What happened

A search operation is continuing for the other two missing family members amid challenging weather and unstable debris.

Ambulances and medical teams have also been deployed at the site.

Following continuous rainfall, a number of landslides were reported throughout Pauri Garhwal, disrupting traffic on key rural and district roads. The administration has stationed earth-moving machines at vulnerable locations to restore connectivity.

Pauri District Magistrate Swati Bhadoria visited the district disaster control room on Tuesday and reviewed the situation in affected areas. She directed officials to clear all blocked roads on priority and ensure the prompt restoration of essential services.

The details

While another machine was sent to restore traffic on the Gumkhal-Dwarikhal-Mahargaon route, after Bhadoria’s intervention, the Satpuli-Gumkhal road was reopened with the help of an earthmover.

Bhadoria also reviewed the status of electricity, drinking water and road networks. Following which, power department office-holders were directed to immediately attend to feeder breakdowns and restore supply.

“We have intensified monitoring in vulnerable areas. People should stay away from rivers, streams and seasonal drains and move to safer places wherever necessary,” Bhadoria stated, warning that water levels could rise rapidly.

Meanwhile, rescue teams recovered the bodies of two more workers from the accident-hit Pipalkoti tunnel in Chamoli district the same day, taking the toll in the tragedy to 10.

Why it matters

“Teams from the district administration, police, SDRF, NDRF, Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC ) and other agencies carried out the rescue operation with close coordination and complete urgency,” Kumar told TNIE.

Kumar said the operation involved draining water from the tunnel, clearing debris, removing machinery and conducting intensive searches at locations where workers were suspected to be trapped.

“Available resources and modern equipment were used effectively despite the challenging conditions. Suction pumps and other equipment helped drain the accumulated water and enabled rescue personnel to reach the tunnel’s interior sections,” Kumar went on.