Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed grief over the loss of lives due to a mishap in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families. He also wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the mishap.
In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured.”
PM Modi also announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 for those injured.
At least 15 people were killed and several others injured after a private bus was hit by a massive landslide in Bilaspur district on Tuesday evening. The incident occurred in the Bhalughat area under the Jhandutta Assembly segment, amid intermittent rainfall that has been lashing the region since Monday.
According to officials, around 35 passengers were on board the bus travelling from Marotan to Ghumarwin when the hillside gave way, crushing the vehicle under heavy debris and boulders. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams, along with local police and district officials, immediately rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations, which continued late into the night.
Bilaspur Additional Deputy Commissioner Om Kant said that efforts were being carried out on a war footing to trace the missing passengers.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed profound grief over the incident and extended condolences to the families of the victims. He assured that the state government stands firmly with the affected families and directed officials to expedite relief and rescue operations.
“The state government stands firmly with the affected families in this hour of distress and will provide every possible assistance,” he said, adding that he is personally monitoring the situation from Shimla and is in constant touch with the Bilaspur district administration.