15 killed as landslide hits bus in Himachal's Bilaspur; child among trapped

At least 15 passengers died after a massive landslide hit a private bus in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday (October 7) evening. A few are still feared trapped.

Earlier, 18 deaths were reported.

The tragedy occurred around 6.40 pm on Tuesday in the Bhalughat area near Berthin when a huge portion of a mountain gave way and fell on the bus carrying about 25 passengers. The bus was on its way to Ghumarwin from Marotan.

An eyewitness assisting in the rescue operations said the “whole mountain” came crashing down on the bus.

Also read: Landslides in Himalayan states: SC raises alarm over illegal tree felling

Child among those feared trapped

Fifteen bodies have been recovered so far, including those of the bus driver and the conductor. A few people, including a child, are feared trapped under the debris and hope for their survival is fading, news agency PTI reported citing officials in the know.

The deceased have been identified as Naksh, Aarav, Sanjeev, Vimla, Kamlesh, Kanta Devi, Anjana, Bakshi Ram, Narender Sharma, Krishan Lal, Chuni Lal, Rajnish, Sonu, Sharif Khan, and Praveen Kumar.

The rescue operations are still on. Two siblings, Arushi and Shaurya, are among those rescued and are undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bilaspur.

Also read: Massive portion of Himachal hill swept away after landslide

Question of sustainable development

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who was attending Kullu Dussehra, reached Bilspur from Kullu late at night and took stock of the rescue operations at the accident site. He also met the victims’ families.

“A postmortem will be conducted in Berthin hospital, and official police work would also be completed here so that the bodies could be handed over to the family members of the deceased in the morning by 10.30 to 11 am,” he said.

Rains have been going on for the past two days, and it is evident that the accident took place due to the sliding of the mountain following rains, but still, a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident, said Agnihotri.

Himachal is a hilly state with young mountains, on which big roads, bridges, and tunnels are being constructed, and there is a need to review whether the present development model is sustainable, he said, adding that Himachal has suffered losses of Rs 20,000 since 2023 due to disasters.

The region has been lashed by intermittent rain since Monday, making the fragile mountain slopes unstable.

Also read: Landslides in Uttarakhand's Chamoli kill one, 11 feared trapped

Ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers Amit Shah and JP Nadda, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge were among the leaders who condoled the loss of lives in the incident.

Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased, while the injured would get Rs 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.

In a post on X, Shah said National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have joined the rescue operations.

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Families devastated

Police and district administration officials are at the spot, and rescue operations are on full swing, said Bilaspur Superintendent of Police Sandeep Dhawal.

“My wife and two children, and my brother’s wife and his two children, were returning home from a function when the tragedy struck. My children survived,” said Raj Kumar, whose children are undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bilaspur.

Videos of rescue operations showing earthmovers and cranes in action are doing the rounds online.

Expressing grief over the incident, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed officials to expedite the rescue operations, an official statement said.

Also read: Cloudburst wreaks havoc in Uttarakhand; 3 killed in torrential rains in Himachal

Congress message

Congress president Kharge said Sukhu was personally overseeing the relief and rescue efforts, and the party’s government in the state was providing all possible assistance to the victims.

In a post on X in Hindi, Kharge said the tragic bus accident in Bilaspur was deeply saddening and unfortunate.

“The state government is continuing its rescue operation on a war footing. The chief minister is personally overseeing the relief and rescue efforts, and the government is providing all possible assistance to the victims,” he said.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families. We stand with them,” he said.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the news of the accident was deeply saddening.

(With agency inputs)