Himachal: 6 killed in Kullu as tree falls on vehicles after landslide

Six people died after a huge tree fell on several vehicles following a landslide near Gurdwara Manikaran Sahib in Himachal's Kullu district on Sunday (March 30), officials said.

A tree on the mountain opposite the gurdwara got uprooted following a storm and landslide. It fell on some vehicles parked on the road, killing six and injuring five others, they said.

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Kullu MLA Sunder Singh Thakur said some wooden carts and vehicles were parked at the spot where the tree fell. Of the six deceased, one is a tourist from Bangalore and two are locals. Efforts are on to identify the rest, he said.

All the injured have been shifted to a Kullu hospital and are out of danger, the officials said.

Medical teams, police and revenue officials are present at the spot and coordinating rescue and relief operations, said Kullu's Sub Divisional Magistrate Vikas Shukla told reporters at the spot.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur have expressed deep grief over the incident.

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The chief minister has directed the district administration to extend all possible assistance to the victims and their families. He has also instructed officers to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured.

Videos of the mishap are being shared on social media platforms in which people are heard saying that no help reached in the first hour after the tragedy took place.

(With agency inputs)