Dozens of people were missing after a fast-moving surge of water and mud smashed into a town in India’s Himalayan region on Tuesday, tearing down a mountain valley and demolishing buildings, killing at least five people. Videos broadcast on Indian media showed a terrifying river of muddy water engulf the town of Dharali in Uttarakhand state on Tuesday afternoon, sweeping away entire homes and apartment blocks. In footage recorded at the scene, people could been seen screaming in fear as they tried to escape the surging flood waters. Dozens in the village had been gathered in a temple for a festival as the wave of dark water and debris struck at high velocity. The Indian defence minister, Sanjay Seth, confirmed that four people had been killed in the disaster but officials feared the number could rise. About 60 were still reported missing and feared trapped in the mud, including around eight soldiers who were reported missing from a camp in the area. The Uttarakhand state chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said rescue teams had been deployed “on a war footing”. The India Meteorological Department said it had recorded “extremely heavy” rainfall of about 21cm (8in) in some parts of Uttarakhand.

Full report : About 100 people missing as flash flood tears through town in northern India.