At least 18 passengers were killed and three rescued after a private bus was struck by a massive landslide in Bhalughat area of Jhandutta, in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district, on Tuesday evening, officials said.
The accident occurred around 6:30 pm when the bus, carrying 30 to 35 passengers, was travelling from Marotan to Ghumarwin. Heavy rains had been lashing the region since Monday, loosening soil and triggering multiple landslides.
“So far 18 bodies have been recovered from the debris and three people rescued and sent to hospital,” said BJP MLA from Jhandutta, J R Katwal, who was present at the site.
Police and district administration officials have been deployed at the scene, and rescue operations are underway in full swing. An eyewitness involved in the operation said, “The whole mountain came crashing down on the bus.”
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Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri expressed deep grief over the tragedy. “The Chief Minister has directed the officials to expedite the rescue operations,” an official statement said.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed sorrow over the incident and announced financial assistance for the victims’ families.
“Saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.
The PM announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the PM National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for those injured.
