At least one person is feared to have died after a cloudburst hit the Chamoli district in Uttarakhand on Friday.

The Tharali market, Kotdeep, and the Tharali tehsil complex were hit hard as large amounts of debris swept through homes, the SDM residence, and other buildings, reported India Today.

Several vehicles that were parked in the complex were buried under debris.

The streets across the town looked like temporary ponds after heavy water flow and debris hit the region.

Rescue and relief operation is currently ongoing.

State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said district administration and other officials have rushed to the spot to carry out relief works.

He wrote on X: "Sad news of cloudburst was received late night in Tharali area of Chamoli district. District administration, SDRF, police have reached the spot and are engaged in relief and rescue operations."

"I am constantly in touch with the local administration in this regard and am personally monitoring the situation. I pray to God for everyone's safety," he said.

What is a cloudburst?

A cloudburst is sudden copious rainfall. It is a sudden aggressive rainstorm falling for a short period of time limited to a small geographical area, as per the Kurseong Municipality website.

Meteorologists say the rain from a cloudburst is usually of the shower type with a fall rate equal to or greater than 100 mm (4.94 inches) per hour.

Generally, cloudbursts are associated with thunderstorms. The air currents rushing upwards in a rainstorm hold up a large amount of water.

During a cloudburst, more than 2 cm of rain may fall in a few minutes. They are called 'bursts' probably because it was believed earlier that clouds were solid masses full of water. So, these violent storms were attributed to their bursting.

There is no satisfactory technique for anticipating the occurrence of cloud bursts because of their small scale.