- Monday, February 24, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
JAIRAM Thakur, the chief minister of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, on Thursday (11) visited the site in the state’s Kinnaur district which saw a devastating landslide. The death toll on the day went up to 14 after four more bodies were found during the rescue operation, news agency PTI said quoting deputy commissioner Abid Hussain Sadiq.
The landslide happened near Chaura village on national highway-5 in Nigulsari area of Nichar tehsil in Kinnaur.
The rescue operation is being carried out jointly by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITPB) and members of local police and home guard personnel.
On Wednesday, Thakur conducted an aerial survey of the Nugulsari area where the landslide took place the same day. A state transport corporation bus, truck and four cars were buried in the incident.
On Thursday morning, the rescue operation was halted since stones were rolling down the hill slopes, ITPB spokesperson Vivek Pandey said, according to news agency ANI. He said the national highway was closed. The recue operation was suspended around 10 pm local time on Wednesday and resumed at 6 am on Thursday.
The official also said the wreckage of the bus was found spreading over an area of 100 metres. The 30-seater vehicle, with 22 people on board, was going from Reckong Peo in Himachal Pradesh to Haridwar in neighbouring Uttarakhand via Shimla, the capital of Himachal.
Eight bodies were found inside a taxi which also got buried under the debris.
The truck rolled down towards a riverside and the driver’s body was recovered, officials said. A car was also found in damaged condition on Wednesday but no one was found inside it, they added.
Several more were still feared to be trapped in the rubble.
A 70-metre stretch of the highway was blocked as a result of the landslide and about 300 vehicles are stranded on both sides of the affected highway.
Indian president Ram Nath Kovind said, “I spoke with Himachal Pradesh Governor, Shri Rajendra Arlekar & Chief Minister Shri Jai Ram Thakur to know about the tragedy at Kinnaur. I expressed my concern about people’s safety. I was told that all steps are being taken to bring the affected people to safety. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and I wish speedy recovery of the injured.”
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, who expressed his grief over the tragedy, announced on Wednesday an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh ($2,694) each to the kin of those who were killed and Rs 50,000 ($673) to those who were injured.
