Death Toll Reaches 14 in Himachal Pradesh Landslide, Including Professor’s Body Recovered

Rescue operations resumed on the fourth day in Himachal Pradesh’s capital after a massive landslide washed away a Hindu temple, resulting in the recovery of another body. The death toll has now reached 14, including the body of a professor from Himachal Pradesh University. Authorities suspect that at least seven individuals might be trapped in the mud pile caused by the landslide.

While most bodies have been identified and returned to their families, one body remains unidentified. Several relatives have approached local authorities seeking information about their missing family members. “We have received information about seven missing people and are actively working to locate them,” a rescuer stated. Among the deceased are seven members of a family, including three children, who were inside the Shiv Bawadi temple in Summer Hill when the disaster struck.

Despite finding the bodies of four family members, the chances of survival for the three remaining missing individuals are dim, according to rescuers. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu described the incident as an “unprecedented tragedy” and acknowledged that the state is grappling with its worst natural calamity in five decades. On the same day, Shimla witnessed another landslide in Fagli that claimed five lives. A day later, at least five houses collapsed in the Krishna Nagar area near the Old Bus Stand in Shimla, resulting in two fatalities.