Agencies
Kinnaur, August 11:
A major landslide was reported from the Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday. The incident is feared to have buried more than 40 people under the debris, according to news agencies. Citing deputy commissioner Abid Hussain Sadiq, PTI reported that several vehicles, including a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus carrying over 40 passengers, are currently buried under the debris.
Providing further details on the landslide, the Indo-Tibetan border police (ITBP) said that the incident occurred at around 12:45pm on the Reckong Peo-Shimla highway in the Kinnaur district. The aforementioned HRCTC bus, a truck, and other vehicles are reported to have come to under the rubble.
The border petrol organisation said that its troops rushed to the landslide site for rescue and are currently engaged in an operation to save the people who are reported to be trapped.
Speaking to reporters on the landslide, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur said that police and the local administration have been directed to carry out rescue operations, while the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also been put on alert.
“I have directed the police and local administration to carry out rescue operations,” the chief minister said. “The NDRF has also been put on alert. We have received information that one bus and a car could have been hit; we are awaiting detailed information on the matter.”
