Mudslide engulfs Indian village, at least four dead, over 50 missing

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LUCKNOW, India (Reuters) -Surging floodwaters and a torrent of mud swept through a village in the northern Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, killing at least four people while more than 50 others were missing, authorities and local TV channels said on Tuesday.

Teams from army and disaster response forces had reached the area, local authorities said, with workers trying to rescue people trapped under debris and sludge.

TV news channels showed floodwaters and mud surging down a mountain and crashing into the village, sweeping away houses and roads as people ran for their lives.

The mudslide cleaved through Dharali village, burying some houses, according to a video update shared by the state chief minister’s office.

Four people were killed and many more had been rescued so far, Uttarkashi district administrator Prashant Arya told local media.

“A massive mudslide struck Dharali village in the Kheer Gad area near Harsil, triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement,” the Central Command of the Indian Army said in a post on X.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to those affected and said teams were making every attempt to provide assistance.

Uttarakhand is prone to floods and landslides, which some experts blame on climate change.

At least 200 people were killed in 2021, when flash floods swept away two hydroelectric projects in the state.

There are about 10,000 glaciers in the Indian Himalayas, and many are receding due to the warming climate.

(Reporting by Saurabh Sharma in Lucknow, writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by YP Rajesh, Sudipto Ganguly, Kim Coghill and Alex Richardson)