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Kinnaur landslide left bus wreckage spanning over 100 metres: 10 points
The bus, along with other vehicles, was buried under the debris after the Kinnaur landslide on Wednesday. It was found in a badly damaged condition. Several people are still feared buried under the debris. The exact number is not known.
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur visited the landslide site in Kinnaur to review the progress in rescue operation. Four more bodies were recovered on Thursday, which took the overall toll to 14, news agency PTI reported quoting Kinnaur Deputy Commissioner Abid Hussain Sadiq.
The rescue operation is being carried out jointly by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the members of local police and home guards.
Earlier, Thakur conducted an aerial survey of the Nugulsari area where the landslide took place on Wednesday afternoon, burying a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) and damaging a truck and four cars.
Here are the latest developments on the rescue operation and overall situation:
- ITBP spokesperson Vivek Pandey said that rescue operations were halted on Thursday morning due to shooting stones from uphill. "At present, the national highway is closed," he was quoted as saying by ANI. The operation was suspended at around 10 pm on Wednesday and resumed at 6am today.
- The official also said that the wreckage of the HRTC bus is seen spread over 100 metres of area in the middle of the rubble.
- The bus, along with other vehicles, was buried under the debris after the landslide on Wednesday. It was found in a badly damaged condition. The 30-seater HRTC bus, with 22 people onboard, was on its way from Reckong Peo to Haridwar via Shimla.
- President Ram Nath Kovind expressed concern about the safety of people. "I spoke with Himachal Pradesh Governor, Shri Rajendra Arlekar & Chief Minister Shri Jai Ram Thakur to know about the tragedy at Kinnaur. I expressed my concern about people’s safety. I was told that all steps are being taken to bring the affected people to safety. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and I wish speedy recovery of the injured," the Rashtrapati Bhavan said on Twitter on Thursday.
- Eight of the dead were found trapped in a Tata Sumo taxi during the search and rescue operation on Wednesday.
- The landslide took place near Chaura village on national highway-5 in Nigulsari area of Nichar tehsil. Several people are still feared buried under the debris. However, the exact number is not known.
- A truck rolled down towards a riverside due to shooting stones and the driver's body was recovered, officials involved in the rescue operation said. A car had also been found in the damaged condition on Wednesday but no one was found in it, they added.
- A 70-metre stretch of the highway was blocked by debris caused by the landslide. About 300 vehicles are stranded on the both sides of the road.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each to the next of kin of those who were killed and ₹50,000 for those injured in the tragedy.
- Union home minister Amit Shah spoke to Director General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), who are carrying out the rescue operations along with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Army and local police. He tweeted to say that it is the "priority of ITBP and local administration" to save lives and provide prompt treatment to the injured.
