Cloudburst triggers landslide in Uttarakhand; 2 labourers dead, 7 missing, Char Dham yatra suspended

New Delhi, Jun 29: At least two labourers were killed and seven others remain missing after a cloudburst triggered a landslide in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district early Sunday morning. The incident took place near an under-construction hotel in the Silai area along the Yamunotri National Highway, where 19 labourers had been camping.

According to officials, a massive flow of debris from the newly developed landslide zone swept away the camp around 3 am.

Ten workers were rescued, while nine were initially reported missing. The bodies of two of the missing labourers were later recovered from the banks of the Yamuna River near Tiladi Shaheed Smarak, around 18 km downstream from the landslide site, PTI reported. Rescue operations are ongoing with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and police deployed at the site. Authorities said movement remains difficult in the affected areas due to continued rain and unstable terrain. In view of heavy rainfall, the Char Dham Yatra has been suspended for a day. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the state, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall through Sunday and Monday.