A private passenger bus was catastrophically engulfed by a massive landslide in the Bilaspur district on Tuesday evening, resulting in the confirmed deaths of at least 18 individuals, with several more passengers still unaccounted for, according to local authorities.
The disaster struck near the remote Barthi village, roughly 100 kilometers from the state capital, Shimla. Preliminary reports indicate the bus, traveling from Rohtak in Haryana to its destination in Ghumarwin, Punjab, was directly in the path of a sudden landslip. The vehicle was crushed under a torrent of rocks and boulders, trapping an estimated 30 to 35 passengers inside.
In the immediate aftermath, local villagers mounted a desperate, initial rescue operation before the arrival of official disaster response teams. Their efforts led to the extraction of four survivors, including three children, all of whom were rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. The condition of the injured remains unknown.
The scale of the tragedy prompted a national response. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and approved financial aid from the PM National Relief Fund. The families of those killed will receive an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh, while the injured will be granted ₹50,000 each.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also voiced his grief over the incident. He confirmed that he has directed state administration and disaster management officials to expedite search-and-rescue operations and provide all necessary assistance to the victims and their families.
This incident underscores the severe vulnerability of the Himalayan region to landslides, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall. The state of Himachal Pradesh has experienced a disturbing frequency of such geologically triggered disasters in recent years, raising persistent concerns over infrastructure and travel safety in the mountainous terrain.
