New Delhi: At least 18 passengers were killed when a private bus they were travelling in was hit by a landslide in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district on Tuesday, officials said. The tragic incident occurred in the Bhalughat area of the Jhandutta Assembly segment, amid intermittent rainfall that the region has been experiencing since Monday.
The bus, carrying around 35 passengers and travelling from Marotan to Ghumarwin, was struck when a mountain suddenly gave way and crashed down onto the vehicle. Eyewitnesses reported that the chances of survival for the passengers were bleak. Rescue operations are currently underway, with state officials and machinery deployed to clear debris and search for missing passengers. So far, 18 bodies have been recovered from the mangled remains of the bus.
The Bilaspur district is notable as the home district of BJP national President J.P. Nadda.
In response to the accident, President Droupadi Murmu expressed her condolences to the victims and their families. She also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured. The President wrote on X, “The news of the deaths of several people in a bus accident caused by a landslide in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, is extremely tragic. I express my condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones and pray for the speedy recovery of those who have been injured.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conveyed his sympathies to the affected families. Announcing ex-gratia payments from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), he stated that Rs. 2 lakh would be given to the next of kin of each deceased, while the injured would receive Rs. 50,000. The PMO posted on X, “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. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.”
Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed his condolences and informed that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams had reached the site and were engaged in rescue operations. On X, he said, “I am deeply saddened by the bus accident caused by a landslide in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. NDRF teams have reached the incident site and are engaged in rescue operations. I express my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this accident. At the same time, I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.”
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu expressed grief over the incident and extended his condolences to the bereaved families.
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