11 dead, 50 feared trapped in Himachal Pradesh landslide
Eleven people have died and 50-60 others are feared trapped after a massive landslide in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district this afternoon. The incident took place on the Reckong Peo-Shimla Highway around 12:45 pm. A truck, a state-run bus, and some other vehicles are believed to have been buried under rubble there. Here are more details on this.
The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus, that came under the debris, was going to Shimla with 40 people on board, according to reports. Horrifying videos from the landslide spot showed boulders and rocks rolling down the hillside and blocking the highway. Teams of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were rushed to the area to carry out rescue operations, the force confirmed.
A landslide reported on Reckong Peo- Shimla Highway in #Kinnaur District in Himachal Pradesh today at around 12.45 Hrs. One truck, a HRTC Bus and few vehicles reported came under the rubble. Many people reported trapped. ITBP teams rushed for rescue. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/ThLYsL2cZK
— ITBP (@ITBP_official) August 11, 2021
Ten people, including the driver of the bus, have since been rescued and taken to a hospital, reports say. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also been put on alert, according to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. "I've directed the police and the local administration to carry out rescue operations. NDRF has also been put on alert," the CM told reporters.
Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have spoken to Thakur and assured him of all possible assistance, they said. "Teams are engaged in relief and rescue work with full readiness. It is the priority of ITBP and local administration to save lives and provide prompt treatment to the injured," Shah tweeted.
Himachal Pradesh has seen incessant rainfall and record landslides this monsoon season. Just last month, nine tourists were killed and several others got injured after huge boulders fell on their vehicle in another area of Kinnaur. In fact, there has been a surge of 116% in landslide incidents in the hilly state while cloudbursts have gone up 121%, compared to last year.
