At least 13 people were killed and two others were injured after a landslide struck a Tata Sumo vehicle near Kahudu Nala in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti district on Friday. Rescue and relief operations have been initiated by local authorities.
At least 13 people were killed after rocks from a landslide struck a four-wheeler vehicle near Kahudu Nala in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti district on Friday, police said.
According to police, the incident took place in the Udaipur area and the rocks came down in an area near Kahudu Nala. The vehicle, driven by Bir Singh, was damaged in the incident.
Speaking with ANI over the phone, Lahaul-Spiti Superintendent of Police (SP) Shivani Mehla said the local administration has initiated rescue and relief operations. “A road accident occurred near Kahudu Nala due to a rockfall. A Tata Sumo vehicle was hit by the falling rocks. Thirteen people have been killed in the incident. Police and the local administration have initiated rescue and relief operations, and the injured are being shifted for medical treatment. Further details are awaited,” Mehla said.
She said the injured have been shifted for medical treatment.
Chamba Superintendent of Police (SP) Vijay Kumar Saklani said victims were travelling in a four-wheeler and the vehicle was coming from the Udaipur side when a portion of the hillside collapsed onto their vehicle. “We have received information from Purthi, Pangi, that residents of Pangi who were travelling towards Lahaul-Spiti met with an accident near Tindi. A landslide (part of a mountain) fell on their vehicle. Our team from Purthi has reached the spot, and the team from Lahaul-Spiti has also arrived there. However, due to the lack of network connectivity, we are unable to establish contact at the moment. They are being provided with medical aid at the nearest facility,” Saklani told ANI.
Police said that an investigation into the incident is underway.
CM Expresses Grief, Orders Relief Operations
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed grief over the death of 13 persons in the road incident. The ill-fated vehicle was on its way from Kullu to Pangi.
The Chief Minister directed the Deputy Commissioner of Lahaul-Spiti to proceed immediately to the accident site and supervise the rescue and relief operations. He also asked the Deputy Commissioner to provide all possible assistance to the next of kin of the deceased and the best of treatment to the injured. He wished speedy recovery to the injured.
“Hearing the news of the tragic incident in the border area of Kadoo Nala in the districts of PangI and Lahaul-Spiti, where a rock fell on a Tata Sumo vehicle resulting in the immediate death of 13 people and injuries to two others, my heart is deeply anguished. The grief of losing one’s dear ones cannot be expressed in words. In this hour of hardship, my deepest condolences are with the bereaved families,” he said in a post on X.
“I have spoken with the Deputy Commissioner of Lahaul and Spiti and issued directives for the proper treatment of both the injured. The Deputy Commissioner is reaching the site of the incident. I pray to God for the swift and complete recovery of the injured,” the post read.
Sukhu prayed to the Almighty to grant peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved family members to bear this irreparable loss.
Opposition Leader Expresses Condolences
Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh Assembly Jairam Thakur also expressed grief over the deaths in the accident.
“The heart is deeply anguished by the heartbreaking and extremely tragic incident in which a taxi traveling from Kullu to Pangi was crushed under debris due to a hillside collapse near Kadu Nala in Lahaul. The news of the demise of people, including an innocent child, in this horrific accident is extremely painful, while reports indicate that two individuals have been injured. In this hour of grief, my deepest condolences are with the bereaved families,” Thakur said in a post on X.
He prayed for the swift recovery of the injured.
(ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)