11 buried under debris in Kullu, landslides hit HP

CHANDIGARH: Around eleven people were buried under heavy debris and mud after a landslide struck Inner Akhara bazaar in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh early Thursday. One body has been recovered, and four injured persons rescued. Search is on for the six others still trapped. The landslide struck two houses in the congested Inner Akhara bazaar locality in Kullu in the early hours while the residents were asleep. Officials from the District Disaster Management Authority, local police, and district administration are supervising the rescue operations despite the inclement weather and terrain. Kulu DC Torul S. Raveesh, said the landslide was triggered by incessant rain. The body of one person has been recovered, and of the four people rescued but injured, three were admitted to the Regional Hospital in Kullu for treatment, and one was referred to the medical college. The search for the remaining six is going on as the rescue teams are clearing the debris, she said. On Wednesday, a separate landslide occurred in the same area, burying two people under debris. Rescue teams have not yet found them, but the search continues. In a grim reminder of the disasters scale, an NDRF jawan, who was buried under debris on Wednesday, was pulled out alive after 24 hours but remains in critical condition. The administration is urging people to remain alert and avoid travel to high-risk zones. Several areas across the state have reported similar incidents, resulting in severe damage to both public infrastructure and private properties. Meanwhile, a landslide in Shimla has resulted in deodar trees falling on houses in the Benmore area, which houses government quarters and bungalows of ministers and judges. The retaining wall, which had collapsed a fortnight back, slid further, causing more damage to the road and endangering the safety of nearby houses. The water level at the Pong Dam on Thursday morning reached 1,394.51 feet, the highest level recorded this year and above the maximum mark of 1,390 feet, for the fifth consecutive day. Army comes to rescue of pregnant woman in Jammu Army personnel walked 18 km at night to rescue a full-term pregnant woman in labour in Jammus Ramkot village. She was airlifted to the military hospital. In another incident, an elderly woman suffering from a cardiac ailment was rescued by the Flood Relief Team of Kharga Sappers from the flood-affected Sammoval village in Punjab.