At least nine people have been killed and several others are feared trapped under the debris of a temple that came crashing down in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla after being hit by a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall on Monday.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed deep condolences over the demise of the people saying that efforts are underway to rescue the people still trapped under the debris of the collapsed temple in the Summer Hill area.
The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister said on X, "As of now, nine bodies have been retrieved. The local administration is diligently working to clear the debris in order to rescue individuals who may still be trapped."
Meanwhile, CM Sukhu along with cabinet minister Vikramaditya Singh visited the site of the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. "Twenty to 25 people are trapped under debris here. A total of 21 people have died in the last 24 hours in the state. I appeal to people to stay indoors, to not venture near rivers and landslide-prone areas. Restoration work will begin as soon as rain stops," added the CM.
The Shimla superintendent of police (SP) Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi earlier said that a landslide had struck the temple and there was threat to nearby buildings as well. He said, "Several people have been stranded. We are waiting for more details."
According to reports, personnel from the SDRF, NDRF and Indian Army are present at the scene and are carrying out rescue operations/
CM Sukhu said, "I have cancelled my pre-scheduled event in Mandi. August 15 Independence Day program will go on as usual but our priority is to save lives."
Minister Vikramaditya Singh said that the bodies of some of the people have been retrieved from under the debris of the temple. "Ten to 15 people are still buried under the debris. All efforts are being made to safely rescue people," he said.
Another 12 to 15 people have died in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh due to the inclement weather conditions, added Singh.
It may be noted that seven people were killed earlier in an incident of cloudburst reported at Jadon village of Kandaghat sub-division in Solan district of the state, said Kandaghat sub divisional magistrate (SDM) Siddhartha Acharya. Two houses and a cow shed were also washed away in the incident.
Chief Minister Sukhu expressed condolences over the deaths and directed authorities to ensure all possible assistance and support.
