A landslide triggered by a storm in Himachal’s Kullu district on Sunday left six people dead and as many injured after a huge tree fell on several vehicles near Gurudwara Manikaran Sahib, officials said.
Medical teams, police and revenue officials are present at the spot and coordinating rescue and relief operations, Kullu’s Sub Divisional Magistrate Vikas Shukla told reporters at the spot.
A tree on a mountain opposite the gurudwara got uprooted following a storm and landslide. It fell on some vehicles and some ‘rehri’ (wooden carts) on the road, the officials said.
Among those killed were Manikaran resident Reena, Varsini from Bangalore and Sameer, a native of Nepal who was working in Kullu, they said. The other three deceased are yet to be identified.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur have expressed deep grief over the incident.
Congress MLA from Kullu Sunder Singh Thakur said six people were killed when a hollow tree on the mountain opposite the Gurudwara Manikaran Sahib fell on vehicles parked on the road.
The injured have been identified as Bangalore resident Ramesh, his wife Palavi and son Bhargav; Haryana’s Prachi and Vikram Aacharya and his wife Tumpa Aacharya, they said.
They have been shifted to a Kullu hospital and are out of danger, the officials said. CM Sukhu has directed the district administration to extend all possible assistance to the victims and their families. He has also instructed them to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured.
Meanwhile, videos of the tragic incident are being shared on social media platforms in which people are heard saying that no help reached the spot in the first hour. Rescue operations were underway late into the evening as teams worked to clear the debris and assess the damage.
Meanwhile, this is not the first incident in Himachal Pradesh. Earlier also the Himachal Pradesh has been severely impacted by continuous and heavy rainfall, resulting in multiple cloudbursts and landslides across various districts, including Shimla, Kullu and Mandi.
These incidents have led to significant loss of Himachal Pradesh which has been severely impacted by continuous and heavy rainfall, resulting in multiple cloudbursts and landslides across various districts, including Shimla, Kullu, and Mandi. These incidents have led to significant loss of life, displacement of communities, and extensive damage to infrastructure.
As of the reports in 2024, a total of 14 individuals have tragically lost their lives due to the severe weather conditions. Additionally, around 45 persons remain unaccounted for, and search operations are ongoing to locate these missing individuals. A total of 55 people have been successfully evacuated from the affected areas to safer locations.
The widespread devastation has resulted in the destruction or severe damage of 95 residential houses, 14 bridges, 10 shops, 4 schools, 19 cattle sheds and 16 vehicles. The Kullu-Manali Highway, a critical route in the region, was partially washed away during the cloudburst, severely disrupting transportation. Restoration efforts are currently underway to repair the highway and other damaged infrastructure. In addition, a total of 85 roads, including 2 national highways, have been rendered impassable due to landslides and flooding, further complicating rescue and relief operations.
The natural disaster has also impacted essential services, with 116 electricity transformers and 65 water supply schemes being affected. Efforts are being made to restore these services as quickly as possible to ensure that affected communities receive the necessary support.
