New Delhi: A bridge in Uttarakhand’s Niti Valley region was swept away by strong currents after heavy rainfall caused the river’s water level to rise dramatically.
A video of the incident shows a massive volume of mud-laden water rushing downstream and colliding with the metal bridge in Chamoli district. The sheer force of the water quickly uprooted the bridge, pushing it towards the riverbank.
The footage also captured a truck and an SUV on a nearby road along the river, narrowly avoiding the disaster by turning away just in time.
The destruction of the bridge has cut off the affected area from the main town. Authorities have advised people to avoid traveling in this region and to postpone their journeys until conditions improve and an all-clear message is issued.
Residents living near riverbanks and streams in the valley have been warned to maintain a safe distance due to the continued risk of rising water levels from ongoing heavy rain.
Uttarakhand Disaster Management and Rehabilitation secretary Vinod Kumar Suman confirmed that it has been raining non-stop since Sunday night, with affected areas including Dehradun, Bageshwar, Nainital, and Champawat.
"It will rain in the entire state. And the rain will continue continuously. There will be a gap of some time in the evening. After this, like it rained last night, it will rain again like this in the night," Suman told news agency ANI.
Suman added that awareness programs are being conducted in landslide-prone areas to inform residents about appropriate actions to take during such conditions.
