Himachal Pradesh: At least 13 feared dead after taxi crushed by boulders in Lahaul-Spiti

Himachal Pradesh: At least 13 feared dead after taxi crushed by boulders in Lahaul-Spiti

NEW DELHI: At least 13 people, including a six-month-old infant, are feared dead after a taxi was hit by boulders on the Sansari–Killar–Tandi (SKTT) road near Kadu Nala in Himachal Pradesh’s tribal Lahaul-Spiti district on Friday.The taxi, carrying 15 passengers from Udaipur in Lahaul Spiti to Pangi, was crushed when a large section of the hillside collapsed near Kadu Nala on the Udaipur-Killar stretch of the SKTT road.The route had been reopened earlier in the day after remaining closed due to a landslide, and the passengers, who had been stranded overnight in Tindi, had resumed their journey when the fresh slide struck.Police, local administration and rescue teams rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. One injured passenger was initially pulled out of the debris and shifted to hospital, while heavy machinery was deployed to clear the landslide and search for the remaining occupants.In a statement, Bharmour MLA Janak Raj said that 13 of the 15 occupants had lost their lives, including a six-month-old infant, while two people were safe. He said he was in constant touch with senior officials of the Chamba and Lahaul-Spiti district administrations to monitor the rescue and relief operations and ensure all possible assistance to the affected families.Expressing grief over the tragedy, the MLA conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families.Meanwhile, a woman from Kullu was killed and seven members of her family were injured after a boulder fell from a hillside while they were travelling to the Simsa temple in Mandi district on Friday morning.The accident occurred around 10 am near Gumma in Jogindernagar subdivision when the family, travelling in two vehicles from Sultanpur in Kullu district, stopped by the roadside to drink water. Moments later, a rock suddenly dislodged from the hillside and struck the group.The deceased was identified as Rameshwari Sharma, wife of Gopal Krishna and a resident of Sultanpur, Kullu. She died on the spot.