Thirteen people, including a six-month-old infant, were killed and two others survived after massive boulders rolled down a hillside and crushed a moving sport utility vehicle (SUV) on the Udaipur-Pangi road in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul and Spiti district on Friday, police said.
The vehicle, carrying 15 people from Kullu to Killar, was hit by the falling rocks near Kadu nallah. The impact completely flattened the SUV, and its rear section caught fire.
Bystanders and Army personnel tried to douse the flames, while videos from the scene showed the mangled vehicle engulfed in fire.
Police said a team was rushed to the site after receiving information about the accident. Relief and rescue operations are underway, and the administration is closely monitoring the situation.
Deputy Commissioner of Lahaul and Spiti Kiran Badana confirmed to PTI that 13 people died in the accident.
CM orders rescue, relief efforts
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed the Deputy Commissioner of Lahaul-Spiti to immediately visit the accident site and oversee rescue and relief operations.
Bharmour MLA Janak Raj told PTI that all but two passengers, who managed to jump out of the vehicle, lost their lives in the incident.
He urged the deputy commissioners of Chamba, which is closer to the accident site, and Lahaul-Spiti to speed up rescue and relief work. Police and rescue teams have already reached the location.
According to preliminary information, the passengers had been stranded at Tindi after the Udaipur-Killar road was closed the previous day. They resumed their journey to Pangi on Friday after the road reopened. Their identities have not yet been officially confirmed.
Separate landslide claims another life
Expressing grief over the deaths, Chief Minister Sukhu directed that all possible assistance be extended 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 instructed authorities to provide the best treatment to the injured and wished them a speedy recovery.
In a separate incident, a woman was killed and seven others were injured in a landslide in the Gumma area of Jogindernagar in Mandi district. The victims were travelling from Kullu to the Simsa Mata Temple when their vehicle was caught in the landslide. Landslide incidents have increased across Himachal Pradesh following continuous rainfall in recent days.
