Dehradun cloudburst: 5 dead, 3 trapped, 200 students rescued amid Uttarakhand rains

Dubai: Torrential rains battered India’s Uttarakhand on Tuesday, prompting a red alert in Dehradun district after a cloudburst triggered flash floods and landslides, leaving a trail of destruction, reports said..

Swollen rivers, collapsed roads, and overflowing streams left a trail of destruction, with at least five people reported swept away in Tapkeshwar, DIT College area, Rajpur Shikhar Falls, and Bhagat Singh Colony.

The rains submerged several houses in Tapovan and causing severe waterlogging in Sahastradhara and the IT Park area, NDTV reported.

Tragedy in Sahastradhara

In Dehradun’s Sahastradhara area, heavy flooding triggered by overnight downpours caused massive damage to homes and markets.

The gushing waters carried debris into the main market, flattening shops and hotels. Rescue teams said at least three people were buried under debris following a suspected cloudburst.

• What is a cloudburst?

• A cloudburst is a sudden, very heavy rainfall that happens over a short period of time — usually within minutes to a few hours — and often in a very localized area.

• Key points:

  • Intensity: Rainfall rate can exceed 100 mm per hour or more.

  • Area: Typically occurs over a small geographical patch, often in hilly or mountainous regions like Uttarakhand.

  • Impact: Because the rain is so intense and sudden, the ground and rivers can’t absorb or carry the water quickly enough, leading to flash floods, landslides, and debris flow.

  • Cause: Happens when warm, moisture-laden air rapidly rises due to local topography (like mountains), condenses quickly, and releases huge amounts of water in one burst.

“The situation is very bad. There has been a lot of damage to houses and properties. We got information that three people have been trapped in the debris, but operations are hampered as more water and rubble keep coming down the hills,” said Ajay Pant, Assistant Commandant of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

Operations also continued in nearby Malnigad and Majad villages, where several houses and stretches of roads were destroyed, ANI said.

200 students evacuated

The disaster response effort stretched further when 200 students were stranded on the waterlogged campus of Devbhoomi Institute in the Paunda area. Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police waded through waist-deep water to pull the students to safety. “Amidst the waterlogging, the team worked with utmost prudence and promptness and evacuated all 200 students safely,” the SDRF said in a statement.

Roads washed away, connectivity snapped

A 100-metre stretch of road in Maldevta, Raipur, was washed away, while several other highways and link roads were left blocked due to landslides. Electricity poles, culverts, and bridges also sustained heavy damage.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted an on-site inspection of Sahastradhara, Raipur, Kesarwala, and Maldevta, saying livelihoods had been severely hit. “There has been a lot of damage to houses and government properties. Connectivity has been disrupted at several places. All our departments are working on a war footing,” he told reporters.

Dhami confirmed that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken to him directly, assuring “all possible assistance” and pledging full central support.

Constant monitoring, public caution

The Chief Minister said he was in constant touch with district authorities and monitoring the situation personally. Uttarakhand Police urged people to avoid unnecessary travel and remain in safe locations.

With schools shut, rescue and relief operations by NDRF, SDRF, PWD, and local administration are continuing in affected zones. Authorities fear that persistent rainfall may worsen the flooding and landslides in the coming days.