HP landslide death toll mounts to 14, 16 remain missing
State announces `4L, HRTC to give `1L to kin of deceased
Shimla: The death toll in the Kinnaur landslide rose to 14 with the recovery of four more bodies as the rescue operation resumed early on Thursday, officials said. Sixteen people are still missing, Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur told the state Assembly after returning from the landslide site near Chaura village on the National Highway 5 in the Nigulsari of Nichar tehsil. So far, 13 people have been rescued. They were admitted to a Bhawanagar hospital.
Shimla, Aug. 12: The death toll in the Kinnaur landslide rose to 14 with the recovery of four more bodies as the rescue operation resumed early on Thursday, officials said.
Sixteen people are still missing, Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur told the state Assembly after returning from the landslide site near Chaura village on the National Highway 5 in the Nigulsari of Nichar tehsil.
So far, 13 people have been rescued. They were admitted to a Bhawanagar community health centre (CHC) for treatment on Wednesday.
The rescue work being carried out jointly by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), ITBP, police and home guards, resumed at 6 am on Thursday, state disaster management director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta said. The state authorities had suspended the rescue operation around 10 pm on Wednesday.
A Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus, which along with other vehicles, was buried under the debris, has been found badly damaged. A Bolero car feared buried under the rubble could not be traced, Mr Mokhta said, adding that it might be possible that it rolled down with the debris.
The HRTC bus was on its way from Reckong Peo to Hardwar via Shimla when it was hit by boulders after the landslide around Wednesday noon.
The CM said the HRTC bus driver had stopped there, seeing falling stones. Several vehicles had stopped behind it. As boulders started falling at the site where the vehicles were stationed, the driver, conductor and two other passengers who alighted from the bus saved themselves by taking shelter under a rock. They were later rescued.
The CM said the state government will provide `4 lakh each to the next of kin of the dead and `50,000 to those seriously injured. `1 lakh will be given to the kin of the dead bus passengers by the transport department, he said, adding that free treatment will be provided to the injured.