Thirteen people lost their lives and two others were injured after a taxi carrying multiple people was crushed by boulders in the Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, said officials on Friday.
The incident, which happened earlier in the day, happened when the taxi was passing through the Udaipur–Killar road near Kadu Nallah. Suddenly, a landslide occurred and the car was crushed by boulders, leaving the passengers, who were from Chamba district, trapped.
The authorities said the Udaipur–Killar was closed on Thursday night after a landslide was reported in the area after which the passengers decided to stay in the Tindi village. Once the road was opened for traffic, the passengers decided to resume their journey, but the taxi, a Tata Sumo, was crushed by the boulders near the Kadu Nallah.
Following the accident, the local police, the administration and disaster response teams rushed to the spot and a rescue operation was launched. Upon arriving, the rescuers found that the accident left 13 people dead and two others wounded.
"We have requested the Chamba and Lahaul Spiti District Magistrates to expedite relief operations. Police and rescue teams are also present at the spot," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Janak Raj, who is an MLA from Bharmour, said.
The heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh
The incident has occurred in Lahaul-Spiti amid the ongoing heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh. According to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), over 130 roads across the state remain closed and 64 transformers have been affected in the Himalayan state.
In Mandi, a maximum of 50 roads are affected, with 23 in Sirmaur, 20 in Shimla, 18 in Chamba, 12 in Kullu, six in Kangra, five in Lahaul and Spiti and one each in Bilaspur and Una districts.
Himachal Pradesh is likely to receive heavy rains for the next few days. According to the weather department, a yellow alert remains in place for isolated parts from July 24 to 26. It has also issued an orange alert for July 27 to 29, forecasting heavy to very heavy rains.
Considering the weather department's warning, the SEOC has decided to Familiarisation Exercises (FAMEX) in the Municipal Corporation areas of the three major cities of Shimla, Mandi and Dharamshala. The findings and observations of these exercises will be compiled and submitted to the concerned departments for necessary action.
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