A search operation is on to trace and rescue those missing after landslide.
At least four people died while a dozen others are missing after a landslide near Gaurikund on the Kedarnath yatra route last night. Besides, three other Nepali pilgrims were also found dead, Nepalese media reported.
The trek to the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand has been stopped. Those trekking to and from the Kedarnath shrine are being evacuated, said officials.
Three shops were swept away in a flash flood following heavy rain around midnight. Gaurikund is around 16 km away from the shrine.
Debris from the shops and hotels destroyed due to the landslide were seen crashing down in the raging Mandakini river. It is believed that the victims were either washed away in the flash flood or buried under the debris, officials said.
Rudraprayag District Magistrate Saurabh Gaharwar said four bodies were recovered while a search is on for those still missing.
Officials had earlier said 19 people were missing following the disaster.
Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami visited the disaster control room at the state secretariat and called for speeding up the rescue process. He also sought an alert to be issued at places facing flood threat and those staying in landslide-prone areas to be evacuated.
The administration has released names of the victims who have either died or are missing.