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The incident unfolded on Tuesday morning, when 14 labourers — 12 from Moradabad and two from Sambhal — were extracting sand from the riverbed near Vikas Nagar, Dehradun district.
In a matter of minutes, the calm mountain morning turned into a furious deluge as a cloudburst sent torrents of water and debris rushing downstream. (Image: PTI)
They had left home with hopes of earning for their families. A day later, the six of them returned in wooden coffins. The Muḍhiya Jain village in Moradabad is in deep mourning after a cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Vikas Nagar swept away 12 labourers working near the Tons river.
The incident unfolded on Tuesday morning, when 14 labourers — 12 from Moradabad and two from Sambhal — were extracting sand from the riverbed near Vikas Nagar, Dehradun district. Suddenly, the sky roared. In a matter of minutes, the calm mountain morning turned into a furious deluge as a cloudburst sent torrents of water and debris rushing downstream.
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“Pahaadon par achanak badal phata, aur paani ka bahav itna tez tha ki kisi ko bachne ka mauka hi nahi mila (A cloudburst occurred in the hills, and the water flow was so strong that no one got a chance to escape),” said SDM Bilari, Vinay Kumar. The labourers were swept away along with their tractor-trolley as boulders and slush choked the river.
By late evening, rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had recovered seven bodies, including those of Madan, Naresh, Harcharan, Somvati, Reena, Kiran and Horam. Three others — among them Rajkumar and Sundari — are still missing. SDRF divers are continuing their search, combing the swollen river and its banks. On Wednesday morning, as the vehicles carrying the coffins entered Muḍhiya Jain, a heart-rending scene unfolded. Women broke into wails, beating their chests, while men struggled to hold back tears. The entire village gathered to receive the dead, standing in silence as the coffins were laid out for last rites.
The tragedy has hit Harcharan’s family the hardest. Five of the six deceased belong to his household. His daughter, Kavita, sat on the floor clutching her younger brother’s photograph. “My father had been doing this work for 20 years. This was not his first trip. This time too, they left after Raksha Bandhan. I never imagined my whole family would be gone at once,” she said, her voice breaking.
Villagers said that no stove was lit in the entire hamlet on Wednesday.
“This is a heart-wrenching tragedy. We ensured the bodies were brought back respectfully and the funerals were conducted as per local tradition. The administration stands shoulder to shoulder with the bereaved families,” DM Singh told News18.
SDM Vinay Kumar, who has been coordinating with Uttarakhand officials, added: “Three people are still missing. Our teams are working round the clock in coordination with Dehradun administration to trace them. This is an extremely unfortunate incident.”
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences and announced Rs 2 lakh as financial assistance for the kin of each deceased labourer. He directed officials to ensure timely compensation and all necessary help for transporting bodies and performing last rites.
As the sun set over Muḍhiya Jain, smoke from funeral pyres rose in the evening sky, casting an orange glow across the fields. The village square, usually filled with chatter, lay eerily quiet. Only the low hum of mourning prayers echoed through the air. “It will take time for the village to smile again,” said village pradhan Manoj Singh, standing near the cremation ground.
September 18, 2025, 16:29 IST
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