Dehradun, India— A landslide blocked a highway in Uttarakhand on October 31, 2026, injuring four commuters and crushing vehicles under a pile of boulders and mud.
The slide hit around 11 a.m. on the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway near Gauchar, in Chamoli District. The stretch is cut into a steep slope. Rain had soaked it for two days. Witnesses said they heard a crack. Then the hillside gave way. Rocks the size of drums hit the road.
Police said two cars and a small truck were caught. A boulder smashed the roof of a car carrying pilgrims back from Badrinath. Four people inside were injured, two seriously. They were pulled out by Border Roads Organisation workers and locals. All were taken to a district hospital.
The highway was completely blocked. Debris covered more than 50 meters of road, up to 3 meters deep. Long queues formed on both sides. More than 300 vehicles were stuck by afternoon. Many were pilgrims and trucks carrying supplies to high villages. Drivers said there was no food or water.
The disaster response force used an excavator to clear the slide. Work was slow. Loose rock kept falling. Workers had to stop every few minutes. One official said the slope above was still moving. He said cutting for highway widening had made it unstable.
Uttarakhand’s mountains are prone to slides, especially in October when late monsoon showers hit. This year, road cutting for the Char Dham project has increased risk. Locals said blasting was done last week on this very slope. No retaining wall was built.
The state government said it was monitoring the highway. It said alternate routes were being suggested via Karnaprayag. It warned of more slides tonight because rain was forecast. It asked pilgrims to halt their journey.
Injured commuters were reported stable by evening. One had a fractured arm and head wounds. The highway remained closed. Bulldozers worked under floodlights.
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