The death toll in the tragic landslide in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur district has increased to 18. Rescuers have intensified efforts to pull out people trapped under debris.
According to authorities, 18 people have been confirmed dead, while three people have been rescued, and they were rushed to the hospital. The incident occurred around 6.30pm on Tuesday, and the landslide hit a private bus near Bhalughat in Bilaspur, trapping the bus under debris.
Officials said the bus was on its way from Marotan to Ghumarwin and about 35 people were onboard. Police and district administration officials are at the spot, and rescue operations are progressing on a war footing. NDRF personnel have also reached the spot.
Intermittent rains have been lashing the region since Monday. An eyewitness involved in the rescue efforts recounted that "whole mountain came crashing down on the bus". Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said he would be reaching the landslide site soon.
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President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah and several other leaders expressed grief over the incident. "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. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000," PM Modi said in a statement.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said he is monitoring the situation and has directed officials to expedite the rescue operations. "Instructions have been given to the authorities to deploy their full machinery. I am in touch with the local administration and am continuously receiving moment-by-moment updates on the entire rescue operation," Sukhu said. |
