11 buried under debris in Kullu as landslides hit HP
text_fields
Chandigarh: Early Thursday morning, a massive landslide hit the Inner Akhara Bazaar area in Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, leaving around eleven people trapped under heavy debris and mud.
Authorities confirmed that one body had been recovered while four injured individuals were rescued. Search operations are ongoing to locate the remaining six people still buried.
According to officials, the landslide struck two houses in the densely populated locality while residents were asleep. Teams from the District Disaster Management Authority, local police, and the district administration are overseeing rescue efforts despite challenging weather conditions and difficult terrain.
Kullu Deputy Commissioner Torul S. Raveesh stated that incessant rainfall had triggered the landslide. She noted that three of the rescued victims were admitted to the Regional Hospital in Kullu, while another was referred to a medical college for advanced treatment. Clearing debris to find the missing persons remains the top priority.
Authorities reported that a separate landslide occurred in the same area on Wednesday, burying two individuals. Their search is still ongoing. In a dramatic rescue, an NDRF jawan, who had been trapped under debris during Wednesday’s landslide, was pulled out alive after 24 hours but remains in critical condition.
Officials have advised residents to remain cautious and avoid travelling to high-risk zones as similar incidents have been reported across the state, causing extensive damage to public infrastructure and private properties.
Meanwhile, in Shimla, another landslide caused deodar trees to fall on houses in the Benmore area, which accommodates government quarters and bungalows of ministers and judges. A retaining wall, which had collapsed two weeks ago, slid further, worsening road damage and posing a threat to nearby houses.
Authorities also reported that water levels at the Pong Dam reached 1,394.51 feet on Thursday morning — exceeding the maximum permissible level of 1,390 feet — marking the fifth consecutive day of dangerously high levels.