15 Dead, Several Trapped as Bus Buried in Massive Landslide in Himachal

At least 15 people lost their lives and several others are feared trapped after a private bus was hit by a massive landslide in the Bhalughat area of Jhanduta sub-division in Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh, on Tuesday late night.

The bus, carrying around 30 passengers, was reportedly struck by boulders and debris that rolled down the hillside near Bhallu bridge around 6:30 p.m. The vehicle was travelling from Marotan to Ghumarwin when the incident occurred.

According to reports, the number of casualties could rise as rescue operations were still underway late into the night. Three children were rescued alive and are receiving treatment at a hospital in Barthin village. Continuous rainfall since Monday has made rescue efforts challenging.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu confirmed that a sudden landslip buried the bus under boulders and muck. He said all possible assistance was being provided to the victims and that the injured were being shifted to nearby hospitals. “Rescue and relief operations are being carried out on war footing,” he said, while monitoring the situation from Shimla.

Teams from the district administration, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local police rushed to the spot to carry out search and rescue operations. Heavy machinery has been deployed to clear debris and reach those trapped.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia of ₹1 lakh each for the families of those who died and ₹50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

“Saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. My thoughts are with the affected families during this difficult time. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

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