Uttarakhand: 9 workers missing after cloudburst hits under-construction hotel site, rescue ops underway

Around nine workers have gone missing in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand after a cloudburst severely damaged an under-construction hotel site in the Uttarkashi district. News agency PTI reported that the incident occurred at around 2 am and a rescue operation was underway to find the victims.

The cloudburst reportedly happened near Paligad-Silai Band in Tehsil Barkot.

Rescuers from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were rushed to the site, along with police officers.

The hilly state has received heavy rainfall over the past week, leading to road closures, landslides and accidents at vulnerable sites. On Saturday (June 28), authorities restricted movement on the Sonprayag-Munkatiya road in Rudraprayag district due to continuous rainfall. Notably, travelers to Kedarnath take this route as it serves as a base point for the pilgrims.

Vinod Kumar Suman, Secretary of Disaster Management for Uttarakhand, also confirmed the incident and said the government was closely monitoring the situation.

Suman added that necessary instructions had been passed to ensure the safety of pilgrims and residents in the region.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

'New dawn': PM Modi meets Manipur violence victims in first visit since 2023 unrest

CP Radhakrishnan takes oath as Vice President of India

Char Dham Yatra suspended for 24 hours

Meanwhile, the Char Dham Yatra has been suspended for 24 hours amid a heavy rain alert. Garhwal Division Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey told ANI that the pilgrimage has been temporarily halted as a precaution.

“I have given instructions to the police and administration officials to stop the pilgrims in Haridwar, Rishikesh, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Sonprayag and Vikasnagar,” Pandey told.

The suspension follows the cloudburst at Silai Band and the ongoing heavy rainfall, disrupting travel.Continuous rainfall on Saturday caused severe disruptions across Uttarakhand, including blockage of the National Highway near Nandprayag and Bhanerpani.

In a post on the social media platform X, Chamoli Police Uttarakhand stated, “The Badrinath National Highway is blocked near Nandprayag and Bhanerpani. Work is underway to open the road.“The National Highway near Nandprayag is a critical route for pilgrims travelling to Kedarnath, making the clearance of the road a priority.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has appealed to the public to remain cautious and avoid unnecessary travel on Saturday, due to the forecasted heavy rainfall in the state’s hilly and some plain areas over the next 24 hours.

(With inputs from ANI)