DEHRADUN: The retreating monsoon has triggered large-scale destruction in Uttarakhand, especially in the state capital Dehradun, where continuous cloudbursts and heavy rainfall have left at least 17 people dead and 13 others missing.

 

The downpour, which began late Monday night, caused severe flooding and landslides that swept away roads, homes, and bridges, while rivers turned into dangerous torrents. According to officials from the State Disaster Response Force, 17 individuals lost their lives after being carried away by swollen rivers or trapped under debris, while more than 13 remain unaccounted for. Two additional bodies were also recovered from the Mauth river, though their link to the current disaster is still under verification.

 

District authorities later confirmed 13 deaths, three injured persons, and 13 reported missing by Tuesday evening.

 

The worst-affected areas include Sahasradhara and Maldevta, where the Rispana and Bindal rivers crossed danger marks, flooding colonies and filling houses with mud and debris. Several hotels and shops were also washed away.

 

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited Maldevta and Kesarwala to review the ground situation. He instructed officials to speed up relief work and assured families of full government assistance.

 

In Karligaad near Sahasradhara, swift currents carrying mud and rubble destroyed eight shops and damaged hotels, leaving two people missing. A student living at Green Valley PG near DIT College lost his life after a wall collapsed; his body was later recovered by SDRF.

 

Reports also state that 13 individuals were swept away in the Asan River, with five bodies recovered so far. In other incidents, four people went missing in Shikhar Fall and Tapkeshwar, one labourer was killed in a landslide at Jharipani toll plaza in Mussoorie, and a scooter rider died after being struck by falling rocks on the Kalsi-Chakrata road.

 

Transport connectivity has been badly hit. The bridge near Nanda ki Chowki on the Dehradun-Paonta highway was washed away, cutting off movement, while landslides blocked multiple stretches of the Dehradun-Mussoorie road.

 

Rescue operations have been intensified. Around 200 students trapped by waterlogging at the Devbhoomi Institute in Paundha were evacuated in a swift SDRF-led operation. Teams from both SDRF and NDRF were deployed overnight to affected zones, relocating residents and using heavy machinery to clear debris.