10 dead, 35 feared trapped in Himachal landslide
SHIMLA: At least 10 people were killed and over 35 others feared buried under debris after a landslide trapped a bus and other vehicles in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district on Wednesday, officials said.
Dramatic visuals of the incident showed boulders tumbling onto a highway and damaged the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus, a car, and a tipper truck. Many people were still trapped inside the 30-seater bus that was on its way from Moorang to Haridwar.
Deputy Commissioner, Kinnaur, Abid Hussain Sadiq said 10 bodies have been recovered from the site of the accident so far,
State Disaster Management director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta said at least 13 persons were pulled out of the rubble in an injured condition during the initial hours of the rescue operation and shifted to a nearby hospital. They were sent to the community health centre in Bhawanagar.
The official said among the injured is Mahinder Pal, the driver of the HRTC bus, which was trapped under the debris.
Two of the deceased were identified as Rohit Kumar of Kyao village and Vijay Kumar of Sujanpur village. The identity of others is being ascertained, said Mokhta.
The truck driver managed to escape by jumping off the vehicle after the landslide hit around 12.30pm. The accident took place 210 kilometers from state capital Shimla and 60 km from district headquarters Reckong Peo on National Highway 5.
Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said the state government has requisitioned the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to carry out a search and rescue operation. He added two bodies have been recovered so far.
In the state assembly, Thakur said there are reports that 50-60 people are trapped under the debris, but the exact number was not known.
He said the driver and the conductor were rescued in an injured state and were not in a position to tell the exact num
ber of the passengers who were on the bus.
Thankur said Union home minister Amit Shah spoke to him and the topmost priority as of now is to rescue those trapped under the debris and provide them the best possible treatment.
The home minister also directed the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to provide all assistance to the Himachal Pradesh government in rescue and relief operations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Thakur over the incident.
“PM @narendramodi spoke to Himachal Pradesh CM @jairamthakurbjp regarding the situation in the wake of the landslide in Kinnaur. PM assured all possible support in the ongoing rescue operations,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
Thakur said teams of NDRF, ITBP, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the local police reached the spot for carrying out the rescue operation, Thakur said. He said an Army official also called him and extended help.
He said the landslide occurred when there was no rainfall in the area at that time.
Ten ambulances, four earth removers, 52 personnel of the ITBP’s 17th Battalion, 30 personnel of police and 27 NDRF personnel are carrying out the rescue operation, Mokhta said.
HOME MINISTER AMIT SHAH DIRECTED INDOTIBETAN BORDER POLICE TO PROVIDE ALL ASSISTANCE TO HP GOVT IN RESCUE OPERATION