Cloudburst in Dehradun, swollen rivers wash away bridges

A cloudburst hit the Raipur-Kumalda area of Uttarakhand's Dehradun district early Saturday morning, causing rivers to wash away bridges and breach their banks. In the Raipur area, a portion of the bridge built at Saunda Siroli that goes towards the airport and Thano was washed away due to strong currents in the river Song. The bridge collapse has brought traffic to a standstill in the area. The police have advised people to be careful.

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Officials said that water also entered the caves of Tapkeshwar, a famous Shiva temple on the banks of the Tons river.

The cloudburst occurred around 2.15 am. A bridge over the Song river was washed away, and the Kempty Falls, a popular tourist spot near Mussoorie, was flowing dangerously, the officials said.

In at least a dozen villages, sludge entered homes after the cloudburst, prompting the State Disaster Response Force to shift the affected people to safe locations.

जनपद देहरादून में थानों-रायपुर मार्ग पर सौंडा सिरोली पर बना पुल क्षतिग्रस्त होने से एक व्यक्ति के फंसे होने की सूचना पर तुरंत मौके पर पहुंची SDRF टीम द्वारा युवक को सकुशल रेस्क्यू कर किनारे लाया गया। pic.twitter.com/xNF62zz2QG

— Uttarakhand Police (@uttarakhandcops)

Officials said that the affected villages included Tauliyakatal, Thatyud, Maldevta, Bhutsi, Lavarkha, Ringalgadh, Ragad Gaon, Sarkhet and Dhuttu. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Dhanolti) Lakshmi Raj Chauhan said affected residents have been shifted to panchayat and school buildings. The Raipur-Kumalda motor road has been blocked due to debris at a number of places, he said, adding that the Rishikesh-Gangotri highway is blocked at Nagni, the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway is blocked at Totaghati, and the Narendranagar-Ranipokhri motor road is blocked at several points.

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