Shimla: Thirteen people, including a six-month-old infant, were killed while two others had a narrow escape after massive boulders from a nearby hill suddenly fell on a moving taxi on the Udaipur-Pangi road in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti Friday, police said.
Fifteen people were in the SUV, which was on its way from Kullu to Killar when large boulders suddenly crashed onto the vehicle near Kadu nallah, completely crushing it. Following the impact, the rear section of the vehicle caught fire.
Bystanders and Army personnel attempted to extinguish the flames at the spot. Videos of the incident have also surfaced, showing the vehicle almost flattened and engulfed in fire.
A team was dispatched to the site immediately after the police received information about the accident. Relief and rescue operations are underway, and the administration is closely monitoring the situation, police said.
Deputy Commissioner Lahaul and Spiti Kiran Badana confirmed to PTI that 13 people have died in the accident.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed the deputy commissioner of Lahaul-Spiti to immediately go to the incident site and supervise the rescue and relief operations.
Bharmour MLA Janak Raj told PTI that all but two individuals, who jumped out of the vehicle, were killed in the incident.
He urged the deputy commissioners of Chamba, which is closer to the accident site, and Lahaul-Spiti to expedite relief and rescue operations. Police and rescue teams have reached the site.
According to the preliminary information, the passengers had been stranded at Tindi because the Udaipur-Killar road was closed the previous day. They set off for Pangi Friday after the road reopened. Their identities have not yet been officially confirmed.
Expressing grief over the death of 13 people in the road accident, Chief Minister Sukhu directed that all possible assistance be provided to the next of kin of the deceased.
Sukhu prayed for strength to the bereaved family members to bear the irreparable loss, the CM’s office said in a statement.
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 the Gumma area of Jogindernagar in Mandi district. A family travelling from Kullu to the Simsa Mata Temple was caught in the landslide. Incidents of landslides are on the rise across the state due to continuous rainfall in recent days.
