E-Paper
Landslides throw life out of gear in Shimla
Landslides occurred near Hotel Himland, Bishop Cotton School, and Panjari nullah near the ISBT in Tuttikhandi in Shimla, burying 20 vehicles in debris
Heavy overnight rain in Shimla caused landslides, blocking three main roads in the state capital and throwing life out of gear as Shimla recorded 141mm rainfall since Monday night.
Landslides occurred near Hotel Himland, Bishop Cotton School, and Panjari nullah near the ISBT in Tuttikhandi in Shimla, burying 20 vehicles in debris.
The Circular Road, considered the lifeline of Shimla, was closed following the landslide at Himland. Though no casualty was reported, traffic jams on both sides of the road caused inconvenience to schoolchildren and office-goers on Tuesday morning.
After the retaining wall of a house collapsed, a five-storey building collapsed in Panthaghati. This posed a threat to the house. Sensing the danger, the administration evacuated the people.
Owing to the blockade, people were seen heading to their destinations on foot.
The public works department team was engaged in the road-clearing operation so that traffic could be restored.
The Shimla police said the Khalini-BCS-Vikas Nagar-Mehli road was blocked near BCS Mandir, while the Bambloe-Talland road was closed for traffic after a landslide at Talland in the morning while later during the day the roads were cleared.
While in Shimla district, the Mehli-Junga road was blocked near Ashwani Khad in Shimla, the Sunni-Luhri-Rampur road was blocked at Nathan and the Shimla-Sunni via Gumma road was blocked at Nautikhud in the morning.
The Himland locality of Shimla reported major damage after a massive landslide and tree falls triggered by torrential rains. According to officials, two residential buildings were declared unsafe after cracks appeared, while one house suffered partial structural damage. Nearly six to seven vehicles were damaged in the incident.
Rescue teams also pulled out a trapped person from a house and store in Himland after debris and fallen trees blocked the exit.
RS Gupta, a local, said: “Around 1.30 am a tree fell on our house and debris entered inside the house. My child, who was sleeping on the lower floor, got trapped. With the help of the police and locals, we managed to rescue him.”
Saurabh, another local, said: “Trees were uprooted and the force was so massive that two vehicles parked on the upper side fell nearly 40 feet down onto houses, destroying them. Our family members were trapped inside but were rescued by police and the local administration”.
The monsoon devastation has claimed 404 lives since June 20 in the state. The State Disaster Management Authority’s district-wise cumulative report said the maximum 37 rain-related deaths were reported from Mandi followed by 24 in Kangra, 31 in Kullu, 28 in Chamba, and 23 in Shimla, making them among the worst-affected districts.
