A devastating flash flood in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district on August 5th has resulted in significant destruction, including the formation of a new lake in Harsil. Rescue operations are underway, with hundreds evacuated and many still missing.

Uttarakhand, the mountainous northern state that hosts Dharali, has been devastated by cloudbursts before. A June 2013 cloudburst killed over 6,000 people in Uttarakhand and surrounding states, becoming the country's worst natural disaster in ten years. In 2021, flash flooding triggered by a cloudburst killed over 200.

The Indian Army and other forces were helping with the rescue, officials said. The flood’s full death toll may be higher, with so many missing.