Monsoon rains have wreaked havoc in Uttarakhand this year. A cloudburst in Dehradun on Tuesday has claimed 15 lives so far, while 16 are still missing. In the five hours between late Monday night and Tuesday morning, the rain devastated Dehradun and its surrounding popular tourist destinations. Three rivers overflowed, and the flood swept away many shops.
Bridges on the highway collapsed. The bridge on the highway from Dehradun to Mussoorie, Haridwar, and Shimla also collapsed. As a result, approximately two thousand tourists are stranded in Mussoorie. The local administration has advised tourists to stay in Mussoorie. Hotel operators have shown great compassion, providing free services to the stranded tourists.
Free hotel services for tourists stranded in the disaster
The president of the Mussoorie Hotel Association announced that hotels will offer free services to tourists stranded in the disaster. Dehradun District Magistrate Savin Bansal stated that the Sahastradhara tourist spot suffered the most damage, with 30 shops washed away and three people killed. The Asan River, which flows through the Dooni Valley, was flooded.
Heavy damage to Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple
The Dehradun District Magistrate stated that a tractor-trolley was swept away by the flood, killing 10 people. Meanwhile, the Tons River flooded Devbhoomi College. The SDRF rescued 300 students trapped in the hostel. The Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple in Dehradun suffered extensive damage. The Tamsa River flooded, washing away some statues and burying half of the temple under debris.
IMD Dehradun stated that there was no weather system in the area. However, due to an anticyclone system near Rajasthan, warm winds collided with moist winds from the east. This resulted in rain.
