Photo: PTI
Shimla, Aug 14: At least 16 people were killed in landslides that buried a temple and several houses in two Shimla localities and in a cloudburst in Solan as rain wreaked havoc in several places in Himachal Pradesh on Monday. Many more people were buried under the debris.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said nine bodies have been pulled out of the debris from a Shiv temple in the Summer Hill area that collapsed and the other site in the Fagli area where several houses were buried under mud and slush.
According to officials, many more people are feared trapped.
All schools and colleges in the state were closed on Monday. According to the state emergency operation centre, 752 roads were closed in the state because of the calamity.
In Solan district, seven members of a family were killed in a cloudburst.
Two houses in Solan were washed away following the cloudburst on Sunday night. While six people were rescued, seven others were killed in Jadon village, a police official said.
Those dead have been identified as Harnam (38), Kamal Kishore (35), Hemlata (34), Rahul (14), Neha (12), Golu (8) and Raksha (12), Superintendent of Police, Solan, Gaurav Singh said.
Deputy Commissioner of Shimla Aditya Negi told PTI that many people were feared buried in the two landslides and rescue operations are going on in full swing.
"Distressing news has emerged from Shimla, where the Shiv Mandir at Summer Hill collapsed as a result of the heavy rainfall. As of now, nine bodies have been retrieved. The local administration is diligently working to clear the debris in order to rescue individuals who may still be trapped. Om Shanti," Sukhu posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
In another post on the microblogging site, he said, "Devastating rains led to a landslide near the Shiv Temple in Shimla's Summerhill area, burying many people. Some people have died. I am present at the spot and rescue work is underway on a war footing. All possible efforts are being made to rescue the people buried under the debris."
Heavy rains battered Himachal Pradesh since Sunday, triggering landslides that blocked several roads, including the key Shimla-Chandigarh road which was closed for buses and trucks.
A key stretch of the Shimla-Kalka National Highway connecting Shimla and Chandigarh has been affected by recurring landslides over the past two weeks, officials said.
On Sunday, a large number of heavy vehicles got stranded on both sides of the road at Chakki Mor near Koti in Solan as continuous sliding obstructed movement on the road throughout the day. The small vehicles are being diverted through alternate routes, they added.
