At least 10 people are feared dead, and several trapped, after a private bus was buried by debris following a landslide near Balughat in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur district on Tuesday. Rescue operations are underway to save those trapped under the debris.
According to reports, a private bus was hit by the landslide near Balughat. Police and senior district administration officials rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. Four people, including a child, have been rescued so far, reports said.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu condoled the deaths and said he is monitoring the rescue operation. In a post on X, Sukhu said, "The news of the devastating landslide near Balughat (Bhalla Bridge) in the Jhanduta Assembly constituency of Bilaspur district has shaken me to the core. 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."
He added, "Rescue operations are ongoing at a war footing. Instructions have been given to the authorities to deploy their full machinery. I am in touch with the local administration and am continuously receiving moment-by-moment updates on the entire rescue operation."
Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla also expressed grief over the death toll.
