At least 15 people were killed and several others remain trapped under the debris after a massive landslide hit a private bus in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district on Tuesday evening.
The bus, carrying 30-35 passengers, was on its way from Marotan to Ghumarwin when the accident happened in the Bhalughat area in the Jhandutta assembly segment.
Officials said 15 bodies have been recovered from the debris so far, while three people, including two children have been rescued and shifted to the hospital.
The toll is feared to rise as the passengers reportedlty sustained serious injuries after the bus got entirely buried under huge rocks.
A police official engaged in the rescue operation said the "chances of survival of the passengers are bleak" as a whole mountain came crashing down on the bus."
The injured have been shifted to the Ghumarwin Community Health Centre and Jhanduta Hospital for treatment.
Police and district administration officials are at the spot and rescue operations are going on in full swing, the officials said. NDRF teams have also reached the site and are engaged in rescue operations.
Sources said heavy machinery has been deployed to clear the debris and rescue those trapped inside the mangled bus, which got stuck under massive rocks. Locals rushed to help, and an excavator was later pressed into service to tear open the roof and pull people out.
According to officials, continuous rainfall in the region had weakened the hillside slope, leading to the collapse that caused the fatal accident. Intermittent rains have been lashing the area since Monday.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri have expressed grief over the accident.
"The news of the devastating landslide near Balughat (Bhalla Bridge) in the Jhanduta Assembly constituency of Bilaspur district has shaken me to the core," the CM said in a post on X.
He added that rescue operations are ongoing "at a war footing."
"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," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 1 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased.
"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," a PMO statement said.
"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," it said.
