A landslide in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district on Wednesday wreaked havoc with over 50 people trapped under debris, according to police. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and the state police are involved in rescue operations, said Saju Ram Rana, SP Kinnaur. While a few people have been rescued and taken to hospital, four vehicles, including a bus and a truck, are feared trapped under the debris.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur told CNN-News18 that the teams are facing difficulties in rescue operations as some boulders are still coming down.
Here’s what we know so far.
1. The landslide occurred at the Reckong Peo- Shimla Highway near Nugulsari, in Kinnaur at around 12.45pm.
2. CM Thakur said that the exact number of persons trapped is still unknown. We have received information that one bus and a car could have been hit; awaiting detailed information, said Thakur.
3. No casualty has been reported as of 3.45pm, however authorities fear there might be some.
4. District administrator Abid Hussain Sadiq said up to 50 people were feared trapped and seven had been rescued and taken to the hospital. “We are now using heavy machinery to clear the area,” he said.
5. Nine people, including the driver of one of the buses trapped, were rescued and taken to hospital for treatment.
6. A Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus carrying over 40 passengers and one with 21 passengers, travelling to Haridwar from Kinnaur, were trapped in the landslide.
7. The ITBP units from 43rd battalion, 17th battalion, and 19th battalion involved in rescue operations are facing hindrances as there are boulders and rubble on either sides of the approach route. Traffic was halted on Rampur National Highway to help with the movement of rescue teams.
8. Union Home Minister Amit Shah contacted CM Thakur about taking stock of the situation. Shah offered all assistance to deal with the rescue operations. He also directed the ITBP to extend all possible help.
9. PM Narendra Modi spoke to CM Thakur regarding the situation in the wake of the landslide in Kinnaur and assured all possible support in the ongoing rescue operations, said the PMO office in a tweet.
10. There have been a number of landslides reported from the state. According to reports, experts say heavy rainfall along India’s western coast is in line with how rainfall patterns have changed in the region in past years due to climate change, as the warming Arabian Sea is driving more cyclones and more intense rainfall over short periods of time.
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