Kinnaur: At least nine people were killed and three others injured in multiple landslides in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district on Sunday, police said. Multiple landslides occurred near Batseri on Sangla-Chitkul road, they added.
Massive boulders fell on a tempo vehicle carrying 11 people and of them, nine were killed and three were injured, according to the police. In a similar incident, one person was injured in another landslide in Kinnaur district, they added.
Multiple landslides triggered by recent rains occurred near Basteri on Sangla-Chitkul road at 1.25 pm, resulting in a bridge collapse and damage to some vehicles, the police said.
The Himachal Pradesh government has announced ex-gratia of Rs. 4 lakh each to kin of those who lost their lives in the accident in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh. "Treatment of the injured will be taken care of by the government," said Jairam Thakur, Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh.
According to official reports are to be believed four from Rajasthan, two from Chhattisgarh, two from Delhi and three from Maharashtra were among the tourists killed in the landslide. The deceased have been identified as Maya Devi Biyani (55), her son Anurag Biyani (31) and daughter Maya Devi Biyani (25) of Rajasthan, Pratiksha Sunil Patil (27) of Maharashtra, Deepika Sharma (34) of Jaipur, Amogh Bapat (27), Satish Katakbar (34) of Chhattisgarh, driver Umrab Singh (42) of West Bengal and Kumar Ulhas Vedpathak (37)
According to the police, the process of falling of rocks from the hills of Batseri is still going on, so it is difficult to say how many people have lost their lives in the accident.
A video of a bridge collapse in Basteri has gone viral on social media. In the video, boulders could be seen rolling downhill, causing the bridge to collapse. A bridge was completely destroyed by rockfall during the landslide.
The police is carrying out rescue operations and further details are awaited.
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the death of people due to the landslides in Kinnaur.
"Deeply saddened by the news of the death of many people in a landslide in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh. Express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wish the injured people a speedy recovery,” Kovind tweeted in Hindi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said all arrangements are being made for the treatment of those injured and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.
With input from agencies
