10 labourers killed in Chakrata landslide

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 23

As many as 10 labourers were killed while four were severely injured when they were hit by a landslide in the Chakrata development block in Dehradun district in the wee hours today.

The bodies were pulled out from the debris and the injured were admitted to a government hospital. Meanwhile, the state government has announced Rs 4 lakh compensation to next of kin of the deceased.

According to information, the incident took place when a huge boulder rolled down from a mountain following thundershowers and hit the tent in which the labourers were sleeping at Chatra village in the Tyuni-Hanol area in Chakrata. A joint team of the district administration and the police immediately reached the village for rescue efforts. It took nearly four hours for the team to rescue the injured.

The deceased have been identified as Kumari Devi (45), Sarjana (18), Tara (17), Deepak (55), Bharat Bahadur (22), Vinita (40), Jeevan (22), Babinder (8), Dhan Bahadur (55) and Dhan Kumari (50). The injured are Janak (40), Shakti Bahadur (25), Gyanu (26) and Khemraj (42). The thundershowers also uprooted electricity poles. Several houses were also damaged. The labourers were working on a road construction project under the Prime Minister Gramin Sadak Yojna.

Dehradun District Magistrate Ravinath Raman said a team was sent to the affected area for carrying out the rescue operation. He said the hospital had been instructed to provide the best possible treatment to the injured.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Harish Rawat and Governor KK Paul have expressed grief over the loss of lives.