UTTARKASHI/DEHRADUN: A cloudburst in the early hours of Sunday triggered a devastating flash flood that swept through a resort construction site at Silai Bend on the Barkot–Yamunotri highway in Uttarkashi, leaving two workers dead and seven others missing. According to reports, 20 laborers managed to escape the disaster unharmed. Rescue operations were halted Sunday night due to poor visibility and hazardous terrain, complicating efforts to locate the missing workers.
The intense rainfall caused the flood to demolish a temporary tin-and-plywood shelter housing 29 workers involved in hotel and road construction. The Yamunotri highway sustained damage at three locations, including a 10–30 meter section near the camp that was completely washed away. Workers’ belongings were also swept away in the deluge. The bodies of two victims, identified as Duje Lal, 55, from Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, and Kewal Bisht, 43, from Bardia, Nepal, were recovered approximately 18km downstream along the Yamuna riverbanks.
A rescue team member reported, “We have found two bodies, but there is no trace of the others. They were all swept into the river.” Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya noted that the area was not previously identified as prone to landslides. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), local police, and administration are collaborating to locate the missing workers and repair damaged road sections.
ALSO READ : Landslide Devastates Uttarkashi Campsite: Two Dead, Seven Missing After Cloudburst
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami monitored the situation from the state disaster control room. The Char Dham yatra was suspended for 24 hours due to the incident, as landslides and flash floods blocked over 70 roads across Uttarakhand. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Dehradun issued a Red Alert for Uttarakhand and Nainital, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall at multiple locations on Monday.