Huge Landslide in Shimla Claims 14 Lives as Rescuers Discover Body at Hindu Temple
Search operations resumed in Shimla on the fourth day after a devastating landslide engulfed a Hindu temple, leading to the recovery of another body. The death toll has now risen to 14, with authorities suspecting that approximately seven individuals may still be trapped beneath the debris.
The recovered body has been identified as that of a professor from Himachal Pradesh University. All of the victims, except for one, have been identified and their bodies handed over to their grieving families. Worried relatives have been reaching out to local authorities in an attempt to ascertain the whereabouts of their loved ones.
Rescuers remain committed to their task, acknowledging that seven people are reportedly missing and every effort is being made to locate them. Among the deceased are seven members of a single family, including three children, who were present inside the Shiv Bawadi temple in Summer Hill when the calamity struck.
Pawan Sharma, 60, along with his wife Santosh Sharma, 57, son Aman Sharma, 32, daughter-in-law Archana Sharma, 27, and three granddaughters aged between 12 and 1.5 years, were conducting a havan (a Hindu fire ritual) at the temple when tragedy struck. While the bodies of four family members have been recovered, the search for the remaining three individuals remains ongoing, and rescuers have expressed pessimism about their chances of survival.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu, who visited the site immediately after the incident, described it as an unprecedented tragedy. He further stated that the state of Himachal Pradesh is currently grappling with the most severe natural disaster it has seen in the past 50 years.
Tragically, Shimla experienced another landslide on the same day in Fagli, claiming the lives of five individuals. The following day, in the Krishna Nagar area near the Old Bus Stand, at least five houses collapsed, causing the deaths of two people.
The landslides in Shimla have left the entire region in shock and disbelief. The authorities are working tirelessly to provide assistance, rescue those in danger, and support the affected families. As the rescue operation continues, the focus remains on locating the missing individuals and mitigating further risks to public safety.
