15 killed as landslide hits bus in rain-hit Himachal

SHimlaAt to the lowest degree 15 people were killed and deuce children injured when a common soldier jalopy was struck by a monolithic landslide in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, police said on Tuesday evening, adding that intermittent rainfall in the region since Monday has hampered rescue operations.According to police, the bus, carrying 25-30 passengers, was on its way from Marotan to Ghumarwin when it was struck by a massive landslide in Bhalughat area around 6.30pm.“15 people were killed in the accident, including the driver and conductor of the bus, and two children were injured. The total number of passengers who were travelling in the bus is yet to be confirmed,” Jhandutta sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Arshiya Sharma said.An official spokesperson said a girl and a boy, aged five and 12, have been shifted to AIIMS, Bilaspur, with minor injuries and are currently stable.Police officers aware of the matter said the landslide, which occurred in the Bhalughat area near Berthin, buried the bus under a mass of debris and boulders. “The vehicle was completely crushed. JCBs have been deployed to clear the debris and assist in the search for survivors. Local police, district administration and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have rushed to the spot,” said an officer involved in the ongoing rescue efforts.“The entire mountain came crashing down on the bus, and the chances of survival for many are bleak,” the officer added.President Droupadi Murmu condoled the loss of lives. “The news of the deaths of several people in a bus accident caused by a landslide in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, is extremely tragic. I express my condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones and pray for the speedy recovery of those who have been injured,” Murmu said in a post on X in Hindi.Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of ₹ 2 lakh from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased while the injured would be given ₹50,000.“Saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Modi wrote on X.Union home minister Amit Shah also took to X, saying: “I am deeply saddened by the bus accident caused by a landslide in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. NDRF teams have reached the incident site and are engaged in rescue operations...”Union health minister J P Nadda, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri have expressed grief over the accident.CM Sukhu directed the officials to expedite the rescue operations, an official statement said.Higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh received snowfall for the third consecutive day on Tuesday while intermittent light to moderate rainfall occurred in mid and low hills, bringing down the mercury, according to the weather department. In the tribal Lahaul and Spiti district, Gondla received 26.5 cm of snow, Keylong 20 cm and Kukumseri 5.6 mm, while the remote tribal Pangi area in Chamba district received the first snowfall of the season.The meteorological department here has predicted light rains at isolated places in the low and middle hills, and light rain and snow in the higher hills on Wednesday and Thursday and dry weather afterwards.