Massive landslide in Himachal's Bilaspur kills at least 15; rescue operations ongoing
Guwahati: A massive landslide in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur district buried a private bus under heavy debris on Tuesday, killing at least 15 people and leaving several others trapped.
Rescue teams are racing against time to save survivors as operations continue.
The incident occurred near Ballu Bridge, where heavy rain over the past two days triggered a large section of a hillside to collapse.
The falling rocks and mud crushed the bus, which was traveling along the Marotan-Kalaul route, under tons of debris.
Bilaspur Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar confirmed to a news agency that rescue teams have pulled out three survivors and recovered 15 bodies so far.
The exact number of passengers on board remains unclear, but authorities estimate over 30 people were traveling in the bus when the landslide struck.
Among the survivors are two siblings, Arushi and Shaurya, who are currently receiving treatment at AIIMS Bilaspur, officials said.
Authorities have identified the deceased as Naksh, Aarav, Sanjeev, Vimla, Kamlesh, Kanta Devi, Anjana, Bakshi Ram, Narender Sharma, Krishan Lal, Chuni Lal, Rajnish, Sonu, Sharif Khan, and Praveen Kumar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and announced Rs 2 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
The financial aid will be provided through the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu offered his condolences and assured that he is closely monitoring the situation.
He said rescue operations are being carried out on a war footing, with full deployment of emergency machinery.
“I’m in constant touch with the local administration and receiving real-time updates,” the Chief Minister wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri cut short his participation in the Kullu Dussehra festival and reached Bilaspur late Tuesday night to oversee rescue operations.
He met with affected families and confirmed that post-mortems will be conducted at Berthin Hospital, with efforts being made to hand over the bodies to relatives by 10:30–11:00 am the following day.
The Deputy CM said continuous rainfall had weakened the mountain slope, likely triggering the landslide. Despite the apparent cause, he has ordered a magisterial inquiry to investigate the incident in detail.
Emergency teams from the police, fire department, and State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) continue to work at the scene, clearing debris and searching for survivors.
A video from the site showed a JCB machine removing rubble, while locals and rescue personnel joined hands to extract passengers from the wreckage. The bus appeared heavily damaged, with its structure mangled by the impact of the falling rocks and mud.
Himachal Pradesh has been witnessing intermittent rain since Monday, making several mountain areas unstable. Authorities have urged travelers and residents in hilly regions to remain cautious.