2 killed, 7 missing after landslide hits Uttarakhand campsite, rescue ops underway

Two workers were killed and seven went missing in the early hours of Sunday after a landslide triggered by a cloudburst hit their campsite at an under-construction hotel along the Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district, officials said.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police personnel are jointly carrying out search and rescue operations at the site on a war footing, explained District Magistrate (DM) Prashant Arya.

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In that regard, the Char Dham Yatra has been suspended for a day owing to heavy rainfall at various spots in the state, as well as the possibility of landslides, officials explained.

The bodies of two labourers were recovered from the banks of the Yamuna river near Tiladi Shaheed Smarak, about 18km away from the landslide zone, Sub-Inspector Vikram Singh said. According to DM Arya, the landslide occurred at Silai Bend, about 4km away from Paligad, Uttarkashi.

There were 29 labourers at the campsite when the landslide occurred, washing away around 10 metres of the highway. Twenty of them were evacuated to safety while nine went missing, Arya explained, adding that bodies of two had been found. The labourers were from Nepal, Dehradun and Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit, he added. The labourers had been engaged in the construction of hotel.

The deceased were identified as Dujelal (55) from Pilibhit and Keval Visht (43) from Nepal. The bodies have been sent to the Naugaon community health centre, officials said.

The missing labourers include Roshan Chaudhry (37), Anveer Dhami (40), Kallu Ram Chaudhry (60) and Sar Katel Dhami (32) from Nepal and Jaichand (38), Chhotu (22) and Priyansh (20) from Dehradun, DM Arya said.

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The highway is currently blocked by landslide debris at Silai Bend as well as the Gujri Bend, while pilgrims returning from Yamunotri have been asked to stay at safe locations due to the blocked highway, which might take a few hours to reopen, he added.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami prayed for the safety of the missing labourers.

"Search and rescue operations are underway at the site. I am constantly in touch with the officials concerned," Dhami said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for heavy rains on June 29 and 30 in various districts of Uttarakhand, including Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Haridwar, Nainital, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar, prompting authorities to put the Char Dham Yatra on hold for a day, for the safety of pilgrims.

Chardham pilgrims have been advised to stay wherever they are and resume their journey only after the weather becomes normal. A decision on further travel will be taken after reviewing the weather conditions along the routes on Monday, officials said.

Meanwhile, CM Dhami visited the State Emergency Operations Centre in Dehradun to get an update on the rescue operations underway at the Silai Bend in Uttarkashi and the overall situation, following heavy rain in various parts of the state.

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He also issued instructions to open the closed roads quickly and provide food and medicine to pilgrims waiting at different locations on the Chardham route for the weather to normalise so that they could resume their pilgrimage.

District administrations have been asked to stay alert round the clock for the next two months.