Falling boulders kill 7 road workers in Himalayas in India

LUCKNOW, India – Boulders crashed down on Indian workers who were widening a mountainous road leading to a Hindu temple in the Himalayas, killing seven of them, a government official said.

Dsitrict Magistrate Mangesh Gildiyal said another three workers were injured on Friday and 12 rescued from the site near Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand state. The area is nearly 380 kilometres (235 miles) northeast of New Delhi.

Gildiyal said the road clearing operation was continuing as one worker was feared to be buried in the debris.

Badrinath temple is a revered Hindu religious site where tens of thousands of devotees visit each year. Badrinath also is a gateway to several mountaineering expeditions in the area.

Uttarakhand state is a popular summer holiday destination for tourists seeking to escape the torrid heat of the plains. It is also a religious pilgrimage site, with four temple towns.