15 killed, several feared trapped as landslide hits bus in Himachal's Bilaspur; rescue operation underway

Shimla, Oct 7 (PTI) At least 15 passengers died and several others are feared trapped after a massive landslide hit a private bus in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, officials said.

The tragedy occurred around 6.40 pm in the Bhalughat area when a huge portion of a mountain gave way and fell on the bus carrying 25-30 passengers. The bus was on its way to Ghumarwin from Marotan, they said.

Fifteen bodies have been recovered so far. Several people are feared trapped under the debris and hope for their survival is fading, the officials said.

The deceased have been identified as Naksh, Aarav, Sanjeev, Vimla, Kamlesh, Kanta Devi, Anjana, Bakshi Ram, Narender Sharma, Krishan Lal, Chuni Lal, Rajnish, Sonu, Sharif Khan and Praveen Kumar, they said.

The rescue operations are going on. Two siblings, Arushi and Shaurya, are among those rescued and are undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bilaspur, an official said.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who was attending Kullu Dussehra, reached Bilspur from Kullu late in the night and took stock of the rescue operations. He also met the victims' families.

The region has been lashed by intermittent rain since Monday, making the fragile mountain slopes unstable.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers Amit Shah and J P Nadda, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge were among the leaders who condoled the loss of lives in the incident.

Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased while the injured would get Rs 50,000.

"Saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured," Modi wrote on X.

In a post on X, Shah said National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have joined the rescue operations.

Fifteen people, including the bus driver and the conductor, have died, BJP MLA from Jhandutta J R Katwal, who was on the spot, told PTI over phone.

Police and district administration officials are at the spot and rescue operations are going on in full swing, said Bilaspur Superintendent of Police Sandeep Dhawal.

The whole mountain came crashing down on the bus, said an eyewitness assisting in the rescue operations.

"My wife and two children, and my brother's wife and his two children were returning home from a function when the tragedy struck. My children are alive," said Raj Kumar, whose children are undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bilaspur.

Videos of rescue operations showing JCBs and cranes in action are doing the rounds online.

Expressing grief over the incident, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed officials to expedite the rescue operations, an official statement said.

Congress president Kharge said CM Sukhu is personally overseeing the relief and rescue efforts and the party's government in the state is providing all possible assistance to the victims.

In a post on X in Hindi, Kharge said the tragic bus accident in Bilaspur is deeply saddening and unfortunate.

"The state government is continuing its rescue operation on a war footing. The chief minister is personally overseeing the relief and rescue efforts, and the government is providing all possible assistance to the victims," he said.

"Our deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families. We stand with them," he said.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the news of the accident is deeply saddening. PTI BPL DIV DIV