The first images of the recent disaster in Dharali, Uttarakhand, came from two brothers in the village, Sumit and Manmohan. Filming from their rooftop, they captured scenes that would become the earliest visuals to reach social media and newsrooms.
The flood struck not once but six times on August 5, they said.
Sumit recalls the moment around 1.30 pm, when light rain was falling, and a sudden roar broke the quiet. A haze hid the source, but within 20 seconds, movement stirred in the valley. A torrent of water and debris surged into the marketplace. The brothers blew whistles and shouted warnings, but the water current left many with no time to flee.
Scientists believe such a flood is a landslide caused by moraine oversaturated with water.
The footage alerted both the administration and the media to the scale of destruction, helping speed up relief efforts. Watch our conversation with Sumit and Manmohan, the men who filmed Dharali’s day of devastation.
Watch.
Stay tuned for more updates from the ground. Power our coverage.
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