E-Paper
Landslide near Shimla’s St Edward’s, 3-storeyed building collapses after rain
Two vehicles, fields and orchards washed away in flash flood at Thaw village in Kinnaur district, no casualty as residents fled in time.
Shimla’s arterial Circular Road was blocked for the second time in a week due to a landslide triggered by heavy overnight rain on Friday, while a three-storeyed building collapsed due to land subsidence in the district’s Kumarsain sub division late on Thursday night, officials said.
Though there was no casualty in both the incidents, the landslide in Shimla threw life out of gear as the town’s lifeline was blocked on Friday morning near St Edwards School since 2am, posing a threat to adjoining multi-storeyed buildings on the hillside.
Shimla deputy commissioner Anupam Kashyap ordered the closure of St Edward’s School on Friday and Saturday. The school authorities have been directed to conduct classes via online mode.
Though restoration work is underway, residents raised concerns about the safety of nearby structures, including the school and houses.
This is the second landslide reported from the area this week as heavy rain in Shimla blocked three main roads, including the stretch near Hotel Himland and Bishop Cotton School on Monday. Landslides had blocked the roads at Panjari Nallah near the Inter-State Bus Terminus at Tuttikhandi in Shimla, burying 20 vehicles in debris on September 16.
In Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district, Thaw village suffered heavy damage on Thursday night due to a cloudburst. Two vehicles and agricultural fields and orchards were washed away in the flashflood triggered by a cloudburst. There was no casualty as people managed to flee their houses in time and moved to safer places. Several houses are now vulnerable due to landslides, the officials said.
The three-storeyed building that collapsed due to land subsidence in the Karevathi panchayat of Kumarsain in Shimla district on Thursday evening led to panic in the area. It comes after a five-storeyed building collapsed in Mathu Colony of Shimla’s Bhattakufer area on June 30. The building collapsed after being evacuated due to heavy, continuous rain and suspected structural damage from the weather and potentially nearby construction of a highway. No casualty was reported as the building was cleared hours before the collapse.
Heavy rainfall was also reported throughout the night in Kangra and Hamirpur districts.
According to the meteorological department in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh has got 46% above normal rain from June 1 to September 18 this monsoon.
Normally, 698.3mm of rainfall is recorded during this period, but this year 1019.4 mm of rainfall has already occurred.
The highest rainfall has been recorded in Mandi district at 1901.2mm.
