Lucknow (India), Aug. 5 (LaPresse/AP) – Flash floods swept away several homes and shops in northern India, killing at least four people and leaving many others trapped under the rubble. Local TV channels showed floodwaters rushing down a mountain and hitting Dharali, a Himalayan village in Uttarkashi district, in the state of Uttarakhand. The floodwaters inundated homes, swept away roads, and destroyed a local market. “About a dozen hotels were washed away and several shops collapsed,” said Prashant Arya, an administrative official who added that rescuers, including the Indian Army and police, were searching for the missing. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said rescue agencies were working “in war-like conditions.” “We are doing everything possible to save lives and provide relief,” he said in a statement. India’s National Disaster Management Authority said it had requested three helicopters from the federal government to assist in rescue operations. The Indian Meteorological Department has forecast further heavy rainfall in the region in the coming days. Authorities have ordered schools to remain closed in several districts, including the cities of Dehradun and Haridwar. Sudden and intense rainfall over small areas, known as cloudbursts, are becoming increasingly common in Uttarakhand, a Himalayan region prone to flash floods and landslides during the monsoon season.
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