3 weeks ago
Bailey Bridge Washed Away in Uttarakhand Flash Flood, Driver Missing
A flash flood is like a sudden, angry river that appears very fast after lots of rain.
This happened in a place called Uttarakhand in India.
The water was muddy and full of rocks, dirt, and debris.
It was so strong that it washed away a bridge that had been built just one month earlier, called a Bailey bridge.
The water also hurt apple orchards and covered the road with mud.
A driver who worked on the roads disappeared when the bridge suddenly fell, and people are still looking for him.
People in about twelve small villages near the mountains had trouble getting around.
These villages are close to the border between India and China, so the road is very important.
Rescue helpers came to check if everyone was safe, and workers started to build another way to cross.
This kind of flooding happens often in this area, so the road has been damaged many times before.
A flash flood struck Tamak Nala on the Niti Valley-Malari Road in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, following heavy rainfall.
A recently constructed Bailey bridge over the Tamak drain was swept away by raging floodwaters on Monday evening.
A Border Roads Organisation (BRO) driver, Pankaj, a Pithoragarh district resident, went missing after being swept away when the bridge collapsed.
Road connectivity was cut off to around a dozen villages, including Jumma and Niti, and the border area near the India-China frontier.
SDRF, NDRF, police, and district administration teams were deployed; apple orchards were damaged and vehicles were swept away.
- Who
- Residents of around a dozen remote villages in Uttarakhand's Niti Valley, rescue teams from SDRF, NDRF, police, and district administration, and BRO driver Pankaj who went missing.
- What
- A flash flood washed away a month-old Bailey bridge over the Tamak drain, cut off road connectivity, and swept away a vehicle and a BRO driver.
- Where
- Tamak Nala on the Niti Valley-Malari Road in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, near the India-China frontier.
- When
- Monday evening, following heavy rainfall in the region.
- Why
- Heavy rainfall caused a sudden rise in the water level of the Tamak drain, triggering a strong flow of muddy water and debris.
Key facts
- Location
- Tamak Nala, Niti Valley-Malari Road, Chamoli, Uttarakhand
- Cause
- Heavy rainfall causing a sudden rise in the Tamak drain water level
- Bridge Affected
- Bailey bridge constructed around a month ago, washed away
- Missing Person
- BRO driver Pankaj, resident of Pithoragarh district
- Impact
- Road connectivity cut to around a dozen villages including Jumma and Niti, and the border area
- Damage
- Apple orchards damaged; roads covered with debris; a vehicle swept away
- Response
- SDRF, NDRF, police, and district administration teams deployed; vehicular movement suspended from Malari
- Restoration
- BRO started alternative arrangements; traffic expected to be restored within a day or two







