September 17, 2025

Mussoorie, the lovely hill town in Uttarakhand, faced a dark day thanks to heavy rains and flash floods. These rains crashed down on the town and smashed the roads that connect Mussoorie to the state capital, Dehradun. Because of this, hundreds of tourists found themselves stuck, unable to leave. But the silver lining? The kind-hearted hotels and homestays in Mussoorie stepped up big time, offering free rooms to these stranded visitors! According to disaster management officials, at least 18 people lost their lives, and 19 were still missing 48 hours after the floods hit on Monday night. But by late Wednesday, authorities shared a small ray of hope — small vehicles were finally allowed to move on the roads again. Sandeep Sahni, president of the Hotels and Restaurants Association of Uttarakhand, told The Hindu, "over 300 big and small hotels across Mussoorie have 'not taken a penny' from guests stranded in the hill station." He added that more than 3,000 people were stuck in Mussoorie on Tuesday, and while some braved tough long routes through Tehri at Kempty fall and Dhanaulti to escape, many chose to stay put and wait for the roads to open. It’s not just the hotels — about 300 homestays also opened their doors for free. Swati Tiwari from Delhi, stuck in one such homestay, shared, "We were supposed to check out on Tuesday morning, but since a bridge connecting Doon and Mussoorie was damaged, we could not reach the place. Our homestay owner offered us free stay and food even though we offered to pay." The rains didn’t only trap tourists — locals, patients, students, and workers were stuck too. The district administration tried to airlift patients in emergency conditions from the ITBP helipad in Mussoorie, but when permission was denied, they had to take a long ambulance detour of 80-100 km to reach Dehradun. These patients needed urgent care for serious issues like dialysis, heart attacks, and injuries. To stop more chaos, police made loud announcements on Mall Road, urging travelers to stay indoors and avoid crowding the blocked roads. Meanwhile, in Sahastradhara, which faced the worst of the storm, people who came back from emergency shelters were busy searching their damaged homes and shops. Many were worried about precious belongings left behind. Sanjay Kumar, who runs a small eatery in Sahastradhara, said, "I am worried if my wife’s jewellery and my son’s certificates are safe. We left homes unlocked when the administration asked us to vacate. Now, we don’t know what the condition of our home is." Despite nature’s fury, the spirit of Mussoorie shines bright! Hotels, locals, and officials are working day and night to bring back normalcy and help everyone in need.

Read More at Thehindu →

Tags: Mussoorie flash floods, Uttarakhand rain damage, Tourists stranded, Road destruction, Hotel free stay, Disaster management,