12 villages cut off as 100-metre iron bridge destroyed by floods in Uttarkashi
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The flash floods in Uttarkashi have left a significant trail of destruction, with some areas still inaccessible to rescue teams. One such isolated location is Harsil Valley, which has been cut off from surrounding regions following the collapse of a 100-meter iron bridge.
According to NDTV, even a day after the disaster, relief and rescue efforts by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have struggled to begin relief efforts in the valley.
The bridge, originally constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), was a vital connection but has now been washed away. As a result, authorities have resorted to airlifting stranded individuals, although the evacuation process is progressing slowly, NDTV reported.
Harsil Valley, which includes more than a dozen villages, lies about 55 km from Dharali — one of the villages worst hit by the floods. The collapsed bridge was located roughly 30 km from Dharali, and the cluster of villages now cut off is a further 25 km beyond it.
The only access to Harsil was a connecting structure, an iron bridge, which is now entirely gone. Witnesses say that not even fragments of the bridge remain visible, as a massive boulder had struck it, dragging the debris down into the gorge where it now lies buried under layers of mud. The river flowing through the narrow gorge remains turbulent and dangerously fast.
The damage, however, extends beyond the bridge. Several stretches of the road leading to Harsil have also collapsed, making vehicular access impossible.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Kheer Ganga river overflowed, unleashing a powerful surge that carried immense amounts of debris — mud from the riverbed and rubble from structures upstream. This torrent buried nearly half of Dharali, a scenic village near Harsil, under tons of sludge and wreckage.
The deluge demolished homes, hotels, and even parts of an army camp, sweeping through the village with little warning. Around 100 people are still feared trapped, and only a few have been rescued so far. Among those missing are 11 soldiers who had initially rushed to assist in rescue efforts.
