Students were rescued after becoming trapped by a sudden cloudburst in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, on September 16.
Flooding triggered by a sudden cloudburst has left students stranded in waterlogged areas. SDRF officials are actively evacuating them, ensuring their safe transfer to secure locations away from the rising waters and hazardous conditions.
The incident took place at Dev Bhoomi Institute, Ponda, on Dehradun-Vikasnagar road, in Dehradun district, in northern India's Uttarakhand, on September 16.
Visuals show that due to floods caused by the cloudburst, students trapped in waterlogged areas are being rescued by SDRF officials and moved to safer locations. Students stranded in water are being physically carried and rescued by SDRF officials.
Speaking to Newslions, Vinit Vaibhav SDRF Constable, Uttarakhand, stated that a rescue team from SDRF Battalion Headquarters, Dehradun, was immediately dispatched to the spot. Reaching the site, the team swiftly launched a rescue operation. Despite the waterlogged conditions, the team worked with great skill and promptness, successfully evacuating all 200 students and moving them to a safe location. The rescue mission was successfully carried out by SDRF Uttarakhand.
District Magistrate Savin Bansal, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Kumkum Joshi, and other officials immediately reached the site to assess the damage. The District Magistrate instructed rescue teams to locate and save the two missing individuals as quickly as possible.
Teams from the NDRF, SDRF, PWD, and other agencies are working tirelessly at the site with bulldozers and heavy equipment. In response to the heavy rains and cloudburst, all schools from Class 1 to 12 in Dehradun have been closed, as per an official order.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that he is continuously coordinating with local authorities and monitoring the situation. He personally visited the affected areas alongside ministers and administrative officials. In a tweet, he noted that several shops in Sahastradhara were damaged, and district administration, rescue teams, and police are actively engaged in relief operations.
In Rishikesh, the Chandrabhaga River swelled following the cloudburst, trapping three people on the highway, who were later rescued. Earlier, a major landslide in Pithoragarh disrupted traffic, with the administration working to clear the road.
This monsoon, Uttarakhand has witnessed cloudbursts, heavy rain, and landslides in regions including Dharali-Harsil, Tharali, Chenagad, Sainji, Kapkot, and parts of Nainital. Since April, natural disasters in the state have claimed 85 lives, injured 128, and left 94 missing.
On September 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Dehradun to review relief measures, announcing Rs 1,200 crore for affected areas, compensation for victims, and support under PM CARES for Children. He interacted with NDRF, SDRF, and volunteers, praising their efforts. The visit followed an assessment by an inter-ministerial central team.
