Chamoli:

A massive landslide today blocked the Badrinath National Highway in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli, disrupting vehicular movement. A 30-second video shows a massive portion of a hill crumbling and falling on the road and large rocks blocking the route at Chungi Dhar in Joshimath.

People could be heard screaming due to panic and running for their safety, the video shows. Many of them were also seen capturing the act on their phones.

Hundreds of people and vehicles were stuck on both sides of the road due to the landslide. The Badrinath highway was blocked in the morning and the authorities were clearing the debris when the landslide occurred.

Police and the administration were immediately called in to clear the debris and the road is likely to open by late night.

Heavy rain in parts of Uttarakhand over the past few days triggered landslides in the hills with the highway to Badrinath blocked at a number of points by rubble. A large number of roads have been blocked and several villages in Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar districts have been heavily waterlogged due to the incessant rainfall.

The Badrinath Highway was blocked on Friday too due to the falling and piling up of debris at two places in Chamoli. The disruption affected the busy Bhanerpani-Pipalkoti Naga Panchayata road and Angthala road, leaving many commuters and locals stranded, reported news agency ANI.

On Saturday, two tourists from Hyderabad died in Chamoli district after being hit by boulders following a landslide, police said. Their bodies were later pulled out of the rubble of the landslide.

Meanwhile, the Char Dham Yatra resumed on Monday after remaining suspended for a day in view of the Met office’s prediction of heavy rain in the state. The Rudraprayag-Kedarnath national highway is also blocked owing to a landslide.