Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) [India], June 29 (ANI): As many as nine workers staying at an under-construction hotel site went missing after a cloudburst severely damaged the construction site at Silai Band on the Barkot-Yamunotri Marg in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand.

Speaking to ANI, Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya said, 'Due to a cloud burst in Silai Band on the Barkot-Yamunotri Marg of Uttarkashi district, a hotel under construction has suffered heavy damage. Eighty-nine workers staying at this under-construction hotel site are missing.'

He also informed that the Yamunotri Marg had also been affected by the heavy rainfall and debris.

The Uttarkashi administration, along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the police, immediately launched a rescue and search operation. Rescue teams rushed to the spot and began efforts to trace the missing workers.

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.

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. (ANI)