Landslide in Himachal Pradesh Crushes Bus, Killing at Least 15
At least 15 passengers were killed after a massive landslide struck a private bus in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur district on Tuesday evening. The bus, carrying over 30 people, was en route from Marotan to Ghumarwin when it was buried under debris in the Bhalughat area. The incident followed several days of intermittent heavy rains in the region. Police and district administration officials launched immediate rescue operations. The Chief Minister expressed grief over the tragedy and directed officials to expedite relief efforts.
Unpacked:
The landslide was triggered by several days of intermittent and heavy rainfall, which destabilized the fragile mountain slopes in the Bilaspur district, leading to the sudden collapse of debris onto the road and the bus.
Rescue operations began immediately and are ongoing, with officials working in challenging weather. Three children were rescued alive and are receiving medical treatment, while several passengers remain missing and feared dead.
Landslides are relatively frequent in Himachal Pradesh, especially during the monsoon season. Extreme rains in South Asia have caused numerous floods and landslides recently, resulting in fatalities in India, Nepal, and neighboring countries.
Experts attribute increasingly erratic and extreme rainfall in South Asia to human-caused climate change, which intensifies monsoons and destabilizes slopes, contributing to more frequent and severe landslides and flooding.