Falling Boulders Crush Vehicle in Lahaul-Spiti, 13 Killed, 2 Hurt
Shimla: Thirteen people, including a six-month-old baby, were killed while two others had a narrow escape when huge boulders from a nearby hill suddenly fell on a moving taxi on the Udaipur-Pangi road in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti district on Friday, police said.
There were 15 people in the SUV, which was traveling from Kullu to Killar, when large rocks suddenly hit the vehicle near Kadu nallah, crushing it completely. Due to the impact, the rear of the vehicle caught fire.
Bystanders and gendarmerie personnel tried to extinguish the fire at the scene. Videos of the incident have also emerged showing the vehicle nearly flattened and engulfed in flames.
After the police was informed about the accident, a team was dispatched to the scene. Police said relief and rescue operations are continuing and the administration is monitoring the situation closely.
Deputy Commissioner Lahaul and Spiti Kiran Badana confirmed to PTI that 13 people died in the accident.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed the Lahaul-Spiti deputy commissioner to immediately rush to the spot and supervise the rescue and relief operations.
Bharmour MLA Janak Raj told PTI that all of them died in the incident except two people who jumped from the vehicle.
He urged the deputy commissioners of Chamba and Lahaul-Spiti, which are closer to the accident site, to step up relief and rescue operations. Police and rescue teams arrived at the scene.
According to initial information, passengers were stranded in Tindi due to the closure of the Udaipur-Killar road the previous day. They set out for Pangi after the road was opened on Friday. Their identities have not yet been officially confirmed.
Expressing his sadness over the death of 13 people in a traffic accident, Prime Minister Sukhu instructed to provide all possible assistance to the relatives of the deceased.
A statement issued by the CM’s office said that Sukhu prayed to the bereaved family members for the strength to bear the irreparable loss.
He also told authorities to provide the best treatment to the injured and wished them a speedy recovery.
In a separate incident, a woman died and seven people were injured in a landslide in Gumma area of Jogindernagar in Mandi district. A family traveling from Kullu to Simsa Mata Temple was trapped under a landslide. Due to the continuous rainfall in recent days, landslide incidents have been increasing across the state.
