Uttarakhand, the mountainous northern state that hosts Dharali, has been devastated by cloudbursts before. A June 2013 cloudburst killed over 6,000 people in Uttarakhand and surrounding states, becoming the country's worst natural disaster in ten years. In 2021, flash flooding triggered by a cloudburst killed over 200.

The flash floods, triggered by a cloudburst, swept through the village of Dharali, a popular tourist destination dotted with hotels and restaurants.

We are doing everything possible to save lives and provide relief,” Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said