Finance
On Tuesday, at least 18 passengers were murdered after a private bus carrying them was crushed by a landslide in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur, the home district of BJP national President J.P. Nadda, officials said.
Since Monday, the area has received intermittent rainfall.
The accident happened in the Bhalughat area of the Jhandutta Assembly segment.
The bus heading from Marotan to Ghumarwin carried approximately 35 passengers.
State officials and machinery have been dispatched to clear the debris, while a rescue operation is underway to locate the missing passengers.
Officials said that 18 bodies have been recovered so far from the mangled remains of the bus.
Eyewitnesses said the mountain came crashing down on the bus, and the chances of survival for passengers are bleak.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu expressed grief over the incident and extended his condolences to the bereaved.
He said that he is in constant touch with the district administration and has issued directives to expedite relief and rescue operations.
The Chief Minister has directed that the injured be immediately transferred to hospitals and that proper provisions be made for their care.
The accident was caused by a landslide in Bhalu, near Barthi. According to reports, the bus carried between 25 and 30 passengers. The bus was entirely smashed by debris and stones that fell upon its roof.
Local administration, police, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) troops went to the scene to conduct rescue efforts that lasted late into the night.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sadness over the loss of lives in the accident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the families of those killed.
Source: IANS
