Uttarakhand, the mountainous northern state that hosts Dharali, has been devastated by cloudbursts before. A June 2013 cloudburst killed over 6,000 people in Uttarakhand and surrounding states, becoming the country's worst natural disaster in ten years. In 2021, flash flooding triggered by a cloudburst killed over 200.

Rescue teams have reached Dharali village in Uttarkashi, which is believed to have borne the brunt of the floods.

Uttarkashi: The devastating flash flood that swept through Dharali village in Uttarkashi district on Tuesday was not caused by a cloudburst, scientists have clarified. Contrary to initial assumptions,