9 labourers feared swept away after cloud burst hit construction site in Uttarakhand; rescue op underway
PTC News Desk: At least nine labourers went missing early Sunday after a landslide triggered by a cloudburst hit construction site along the Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district, officials said.
The labourers, who are believed to be of Nepali origin re feared to be swept away in the landslide.
District Magistrate Prashant Arya said the landslide occurred at Silai bend about 4 km ahead of Paligad, Uttarkashi. The labourers were engaged in the construction of a hotel, he said, adding a new landslide zone has developed close to the hotel.
“There were 19 labourers at the camp site below the hotel when the landslide occurred washing out around 10 metres of the highway. Eight to nine of them are missing,” he said.
The district emergency operation centre said that other construction workers who were living in the tents have been safely displaced and brought to safety shelters.
A massive rescue operation by SDRF and NDRF has been launched to find the missing workers.
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.
- PTC NEWS
