india

Updated: Oct 20, 2019 12:39 IST

At least eight people were killed after three vehicles, including two motorcycles and a car, were hit by a landslide in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district while they were coming back from Kedarnath, officials said on Sunday.

Officials said a rescue operation was launched after the accident happened late on Saturday evening.

Three injured were rushed to a nearby hospital where they succumbed during the night and the bodies of five others were recovered on Sunday morning, they added.

“The incident happened on Saturday late evening near Chandi Ka Dhar area of the district. In the initial Investigations, it was found that the deceased, whose identities are yet to be ascertained, were returning from the Kedarnath shrine,” Rudraprayag’s district magistrate Mangesh Gildiyal said.

Gildiyal said they were not sure how many people were travelling in these vehicles as the bodies of the victims were found scattered along with the vehicles.

“Rescue teams found three injured lying at the spot while five others were stuck under the debris and heavy boulders brought down by landslide. They immediately rushed the three to a hospital. The remaining five bodies were recovered on Sunday morning,” said Gildiyal.

“The car involved in the incident has a Delhi registration number so we are suspecting that few of the deceased hailed from Delhi,” he said.

He also said that a magisterial inquiry would be ordered in the incident.

“Identities of all the eight deceased would be ascertained in the next few hours,” the district magistrate said.