Four Helicopters Deployed as Rescue Operations Intensify in Disaster Hit Uttarkashi

Four helicopters have been pressed into service to evacuate individuals stranded in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district, following devastating flash floods and landslides earlier this week. The disaster, triggered by a cloudburst on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, has claimed multiple lives and left widespread destruction. Official data confirms four deaths and 49 people remain missing since the calamity.

As rescue operations entered their fifth day on Saturday, August 9, 2025, Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Authority helicopters began sorties to various affected locations. So far, 729 people have been evacuated from the cut-off Dharali area.

Additionally, 287 more individuals were airlifted on Saturday, with 170 taken to ITBP's Matli helipad and 107 to the Chinyalisaur airstrip. A Chinook helicopter also transported a generator set to a relief camp, addressing the severe power supply disruption in Dharali and surrounding areas.

The flash floods have also severely impacted road connectivity, with the Gangotri highway blocked at several points, hampering efforts to transport search equipment. In response, a Bailey bridge is being constructed at Limchigad near Gangnani on a war footing to improve road access to the affected regions, with work continuing overnight to expedite its completion.