NEW DELHI, Oct 7: At least 18 people were killed, and three rescued, after a private bus was buried under the debris of a massive landslide triggered in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district late Tuesday evening.
The bus, carrying around 30 to 35 passengers, was on its way from Haryana’s Rohtak to Ghumarwin, near Bilaspur, when, due to heavy rain, the entire hill came crashing onto the bus. The accident took place near the Bhallu Bridge in the Bhalughat area in the Jhandutta assembly segment.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed grief over the accident and directed the officials to carry out the rescue operations. “In this massive landslide, tragic news has come of 10 people losing their lives after a private bus was caught in it, and there is apprehension that several others may be trapped under the debris,” Sukhu wrote in a post on X.
“Rescue operations are ongoing on a war footing. Instructions have been given to the authorities to deploy their full machinery,” he said, adding that he’s closely coordinating with the local administration to receive updates on the incident.
Meanwhile, at least 15 flights were diverted at the Delhi airport on Tuesday evening due to heavy rain. Eight flights were diverted to Jaipur, five to Lucknow and two to Chandigarh. Intermittent showers began early in the morning and continued through the day. After a brief lull in the afternoon, dark clouds shrouded the sky, followed by a spell of heavy rain.
The rain led to huge traffic jams and waterlogging in several areas. Earlier in an advisory, Delhi Airport authorities had said flight operations were likely to be affected due to the inclement weather. Passengers were advised to check with their respective airlines for updated flight information and to consider using the Delhi Metro to reach the airport in order to avoid possible delays on the roads.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier predicted rain for the day and issued yellow and orange alerts, cautioning residents about moderate rainfall with light thunderstorms and lightning in the region.
(Manas Dasgupta)