Dehradun | A cloudburst led to flash floods in the high altitude villages of Dharali in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district on Tuesday with several houses being damaged or swept away in the raging waters, according to people in the area.

The cloudburst took place in the catchment area of the Kheer Ganga river, leading to the devastating floods, locals said.

About 10-12 people could be buried under the debris, Rajesh Panwar, a villager, told PTI. He said 20-25 hotels and homestays may have been washed away.

There was panic in villages in the area with people scrambling for dry ground. Videos from the area showed a torrent of water rushing down. People could be heard screaming in panic.

Details are awaited.