- Thursday, February 27, 2025
Nine people lost their lives in a landslide at a temple in Summer Hill area of Shimla, the state capital.
By: Shubham Ghosh
AT LEAST 21 people reportedly died in two separate incidents related to heavy rain in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh within 24 hours, its chief minister confirmed on Monday (14).
While seven were killed in a cloudburst incident in Himachal’s Solan district on Sunday (13) night, nine lost their lives in a landslide at a temple in Summer Hill area of Shimla, the capital.
In an interview with Indian channel NDTV, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu appealed to the people to stay indoors and avoid venturing into waterbodies. He also advised people not to go to landslide-prone areas and also urged tourists not to visit the state till the crisis persists.
"प्रदेश में हो रही भारी बारिश के चलते लोगो से अपील"#safetyfirst#HimachalFloods pic.twitter.com/y8wSBL0mTm
— Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) August 14, 2023
Himachal Pradesh, which borders the Himalayan mountains and is one of the top tourist destinations of the country, has been battered by heavy rain and related natural calamity this year, causing mammoth destruction of infrastructure and property and loss of human lives.
VIDEO | Rescue operation underway after a temple collapsed due to massive landslide in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh earlier today.
CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, along with officials, is present at the spot. Nine bodies have been pulled out of the debris, the CM said.
"Teams are… pic.twitter.com/3yp64LdmI0
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 14, 2023
While the state has faced a staggering loss worth over Rs 7,000 crore because of the devastating impact of the monsoon, officials said, more than 250 people have been killed due to various reasons.
“Of the 257, 66 people lost their lives due to landslides and flash floods. 191 people lost their lives due to road accidents or other reasons. While 32 people are missing and 290 people have been injured”, officials were quoted by NDTV as saying.
In the latest tragedy which took place in Solan, the deceased included four minors aged between eight and 14 besides three adults — all in their 30s, police sources said.
Sukhu, who condoled the deaths in a post on X (formerly called Twitter), said he directed the authorities to provide all possible assistance and support to the affected families.
“Devastated to hear about the loss of 7 precious lives in the tragic cloudburst incident at Village Jadon, Dhawla Sub-Tehsil in Solan District. My heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving families. We share in your pain and sorrow during this difficult time,” the chief minister’s office tweeted.
A few hours later, the chief minister confirmed the news of nine people getting killed in the temple’s collapse.
“Distressing news has emerged from Shimla, where the “Shiv Mandir” at Summer Hill collapsed as a result of the heavy rainfall. As of now, nine bodies have been retrieved. The local administration is diligently working to clear the debris in order to rescue individuals who may still be trapped. Om Shanti,” he tweeted.
More than 750 roads were closed in Himachal because of the calamity. All educational institutes remained shut on Monday keeping in view the students’ safety, Sukhu said on Sunday.
The chief minister has asked top civil servants including the chief secretary, home secretary and all district collectors to keep a close watch on the situation in view of the heavy downpour.
The Indian Meteorological Department on Monday said the heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh and neighbouring Uttarakhand were caused by a fresh spell of Western Disturbance.
“The location of the Monsoon trough lies along the foothills of the Himalayas, and hence the South-westerly Arabian Sea monsoonal winds are hitting the Himalayan foothills,” the weather department said.
