A devastating landslide in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district on Tuesday claimed at least 18 lives after it buried a private bus under a massive pile of debris near Ballu Bridge. The incident occurred when a large volume of mud and rocks slid down a hillside, crashing onto the bus and trapping several passengers, with fears that more remain trapped under the wreckage.
According to officials, three individuals have been rescued safely, and search and rescue operations are actively underway to locate others who may still be trapped. Bilaspur Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar, speaking to mediapersons, confirmed the death toll and rescue efforts, stating, “18 people have died and three have been rescued alive. There were over 30 people onboard the bus, though the exact figure is not known at this point.”
A video from the site captured the severity of the incident, showing a JCB machine clearing debris while several men worked to free trapped passengers. The footage also revealed the shattered remains of the bus, underscoring the force of the mud and rocks that struck the vehicle. The bus was operating on the Marotan–Kalaul route at the time of the accident.
Response teams, including personnel from the police, fire department, and disaster management authority, have arrived at the scene and are working diligently to clear the debris and rescue survivors. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed his condolences for the tragic accident, stating that he is closely monitoring the situation from Shimla and remains in constant contact with the district administration.
He has instructed officials to expedite rescue and relief operations and ensure that the injured are promptly transported to hospitals for proper medical treatment.
Himachal Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who was in Kullu at the time, is en route to Bilaspur to oversee the response efforts.
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