15 dead as landslide buries bus in Himachal's Bilaspur district, rescue efforts underway

At least 15 passengers were killed and several others are feared trapped after a massive landslide struck a private bus in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur districton Tuesday evening, officials said.

The incident occurred around 6.40 pm near Bhalughat, close to Berthin, when a large section of a hillside collapsed onto a bus carrying around 25 passengers. The vehicle was travelling from Marotan to Ghumarwin when it was buried under the debris.

Rescue teams recovered 15 bodies by late evening, while efforts continued through the night to locate survivors. Officials said a few passengers, including a child, were still feared trapped, and chances of survival were diminishing as heavy rain and unstable slopes hampered the operation.

Among the deceased were identified as Naksh, Aarav, Sanjeev, Vimla, Kamlesh, Kanta Devi, Anjana, Bakshi Ram, Narender Sharma, Krishan Lal, Chuni Lal, Rajnish, Sonu, Sharif Khan, and Praveen Kumar. Two siblings, Arushi and Shaurya, were rescued alive and are receiving treatment at AIIMS Bilaspur.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who reached the site after attending the Kullu Dussehra festivities, reviewed rescue operations late at night and met with the victims’ families. He said post-mortem examinations would be conducted at Berthin Hospital and the bodies handed over to relatives by Wednesday morning.

Agnihotri noted that continuous rainfall over the past two days had loosened the soil, triggering the deadly slide. “It appears the accident occurred due to the mountain giving way after incessant rains, but a magisterial inquiry has been ordered,” he said.

The Deputy CM also highlighted the need to assess Himachal’s current development model, citing the state’s “fragile young mountains” and the growing strain from large-scale infrastructure projects such as highways, tunnels, and bridges. “Since 2023, Himachal has incurred losses of nearly Rs 20,000 crore due to natural disasters,” he added.

Rescue efforts by local authorities, police, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams continued through the night, with JCBs and cranes deployed to clear debris.

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BJP MLA from Jhandutta, J. R. Katwal, who was present at the site, confirmed that the bus driver and conductor were among those killed. Bilaspur Superintendent of Police Sandeep Dhawal said officials from the police and district administration were coordinating rescue and relief operations.

Eyewitnesses described the moment of impact as sudden and overwhelming. “The whole mountain came crashing down on the bus,” said Raj Kumar, who lost several family members in the tragedy but managed to rescue his two children, now being treated at AIIMS Bilaspur.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge were among those who expressed condolences.

In a post on X, Modi said he was “saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Bilaspur,” and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for each deceased, and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Home Minister Amit Shah said NDRF teams had joined local authorities in the rescue efforts. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also directed officials to expedite operations and assured full state support to the victims’ families.

Congress president Kharge said the state government was working “on a war footing” and that Chief Minister Sukhu was personally overseeing the relief and rescue efforts. “Our deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families. We stand with them,” he said.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also expressed grief over the incident, calling it “deeply saddening.”

The region has been battered by intermittent rain since Monday, rendering mountain slopes unstable and increasing the risk of further landslides in the coming days.

With PTI Inputs