In a fresh landslide in Shimla on Tuesday, at least four houses perched on the hillside have been washed away by a landslide caused due to heavy rains, which has been battering parts of Himachal Pradesh since last week. Two people have died and 5-10 are feared trapped.
The incident took place in the Krishna Nagar area of the capital town on Tuesday afternoon. The place lies between the old Bus Stand on Cart Road and the Shimla Bypass below.
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A disturbing video of the landslide shows a tree leaning precariously and then falling on one of the houses, whose roof gets damaged. There’s a heart-stopping pause for a few seconds until the ground gives way, sending the damaged house and at least three others crashing down the hill.
“Two people have died. We have recovered one body and we can see the leg of another. That body is also being pulled out. About 35 people had been evacuated from their houses. I would urge everyone to vacate their houses if they notice any cracks. The administration will ensure food and lodging for them, and we will also give money to rebuild damaged houses,” chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu later told the media.
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Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu tweeted that the residents were evacuated earlier this morning by the administration fearing a landslide.
However, as the landslide occurred, the houses crashed upon the slaughterhouse, where some people were reportedly working inside. Videos of people in nearby houses screaming and telling the inmates to leave immediately were circulated on social media.
Officials said 5-10 people are feared trapped in the debris and rescue operations are underway.
On Monday, two landslides took place in Shimla, one at a Shiva temple in Summer Hill and the other at Fagli, which claimed 16 lives.
