- Monday, February 24, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
NATURAL disasters in India’s Himalayan zone continued unabated on Wednesday (11) when 11 people were killed while 60 more were feared buried after a landslide took place on a road in Kinnaur district of the hill state of Himachal Pradesh. Many vehicles were trapped under the debris following the mayhem.
The landslide hit the Reckong Peo-Shimla highway in Kinnaur around 12 noon local time, said agencies. A truck, bus and other vehicles were reportedly trapped under the falling rocks and soil.
According to reports, the bus, which was going to Shimla, was carrying 40 people on board. The local police said 25-30 people were buried while 10, including the driver, were reportedly rescued.
A video was circulating on social media showing rocks rolling down the hillside, blocking the highway.
Teams of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police were sent to the area to rescue those who got trapped. Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said the National Disaster Response Force had also been called in.
“I’ve directed the police and the local administration to carry out rescue operations. NDRF has also been put on alert. We have received information that one bus and a car could have been hit. We are waiting for detailed information,” Thakur told reporters.
Prime minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah also spoke with Thakur and assured him of all possible help.
Heavy rain has triggered landslides in many parts of Himachal Pradesh over the past few weeks. In July, nine tourists were killed after heavy boulders fell on their vehicle near Basteri in another part of Kinnaur.
