Uttarkashi (U'Khand), June 29: Two workers were killed while seven went missing early 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), SDRF and police personnel are jointly carrying out search and rescue operations at the site on a war footing, District Magistrate Prashant Arya said.
Chardham Yatra was suspended for a day in view of heavy rainfall at various places across the state and possibility of landslides, the officials said.
Bodies of two labourers were recovered from the banks of the Yamuna river near Tiladi Shaheed Smarak, about 18 km from the place where the landslide occurred, Sub-Inspector Vikram Singh said.
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, the DM said, adding that bodies of two of them have been found.
The labourers were from Nepal, Dehradun and Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit, Arya said.
The landslide occurred at Silai Bend about 4 km ahead of Paligad, Uttarkashi, he said.
The labourers were engaged in the construction of hotel, he said, adding a new landslide zone has developed close to the hotel site.
The deceased were identified as Dujelal (55) from Pilibhit and Keval Visht (43) from Nepal. The bodies have been sent to Naugaon community health centre, the 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, the DM said.
The highway is blocked by landslide debris at Silai Bend and Gujri Bend, he said. Pilgrims returning from Yamunotri have been asked to stay at safe locations due to the blocked highway, he said.
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," he said.
The MeT department 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 Chardham Yatra on hold for a day for the safety of pilgrims.
In view of continuous heavy rainfall in the state and the possibility of landslides, the Chardham Yatra has been postponed for a day as a precautionary step, Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said. |
