Ten Nepalese labourers, including five women, were killed and five others injured after a landslide hit their huts in the Chakrata area of the district in the wee hours today.
The mishap took place at around 1 AM when the labourers, who were working on a project under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, were asleep in their huts in Teoni-Hanol area when strong winds and thundershowers triggered a landslide, District Magistrate Ravinath Raman said.
The bodies of the 10 labourers have been retrieved and the injured admitted to a hospital, he said.
He said one of the injured, who is in "serious condition", is being taken to Dehradun for better treatment.
Governor KK Paul and Chief Minister Harish Rawat have expressed grief over the mishap.
Rawat's media advisor Surendra Kumar said the Chief Minister has announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of the kin of the deceased.
The deceased belong to three families from as many different districts in Nepal.
Members of one deceased family have been identified as Deepak, his wife Devi, and their children - Sanjana, Tara and Bharat Bahadur - from Salyan district in Nepal.
The other deceased family members have been identified as Vinita and her sons - Ravindra and Jeevan - from Jajarkot district in that country.
A couple - Dhanbahadur and Dhankumari - who lost their lives are from Rukum district of that country.
