Nine people died while three were injured in Kinnaur district after a bridge collapsed as a result of boulders rolling down a hill due to a landslide.
At least nine people died while three were injured in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district on Sunday after a bridge collapsed as a result of boulders rolling down a hill due to a landslide.
According to Saju Ram Rana, Superintendent of Police, Kinnaur district, the nine persons who died were tourists travelling in a vehicle. A rescue team is present on the spot. "Nine persons died and three are injured after boulders rolled downhill due to landslide in Kinnaur. The Batseri bridge collapsed in the incident. Rescue team present at the spot," Rana said.
Rocks fell from a hill near Batseri to Sangla Chitkul road. 11 people, including the driver, were in the tempo traveler. The rest suffered injuries, along with another passerby who was walking on the road.
"The people sitting in the traveller were from different parts of the country and had come to Kinnaur to visit. Police Home Guards and ITBP personnel have reached the site for rescue operations. The QRT team of Sangla Police is engaged in extracting the dead bodies," the SP further informed.
Several orchards, vehicles, and houses were also damaged.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the death of people and said all arrangements are being made for the treatment of those injured. It is a very painful incident, Modi said and also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur also condoled the deaths of the tourists. "The accident in Kinnaur's Batseri due to landslide is heart-wrenching. It is very sad that a vehicle carrying tourists came under this, in which 9 died and 3 others also got injured. May God grant peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved family," Thakur tweeted.
A video of the disaster showing massive boulders sliding off the hilltop and damaging a bailey bridge and a portion of the highway has gone viral.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Himachal Pradesh Kinnaur landslide")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}