Aug 24, 2023, 1:45 PM IST
A massive landslide on Thursday wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district, leading to the destruction of numerous houses. Startling visuals of the landslide depict multi-storeyed buildings collapsing, leaving a trail of dust and debris in their wake. In response to the disaster, emergency teams like the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been mobilized to rescue any individuals feared trapped beneath the landslide.
Saakshi Verma Kartikeyan, the Superintendent of Police (SP), reported, "Seven buildings, including three commercial and four residential structures, collapsed. Thankfully, no casualties occurred as people had already been evacuated."
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall expected in Himachal Pradesh over the next two days, starting today.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu acknowledged the grim situation, stating, "Disturbing visuals emerge from Anni, Kullu, depicting a massive commercial building collapsing amidst a devastating landslide. It's noteworthy that the administration had identified the risk and successfully evacuated the building two days prior."
Disturbing visuals emerge from Anni, Kullu, depicting a massive commercial building collapsing amidst a devastating landslide.
It's noteworthy that the administration had identified the risk and successfully evacuated the building two days prior. pic.twitter.com/cGAf0pPtGd
Another video of the collapse has been doing the rounds on social media.
Several buildings collapsed in Anni of Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh pic.twitter.com/qJZurRnSY9
— Weatherman Shubham (@shubhamtorres09)The state continues to bear the brunt of relentless rain, with several areas grappling with severe weather conditions. Today, heavy rainfall in the district resulted in hundreds of vehicles being stranded on the damaged Kullu-Mandi Highway. Both the Kullu-Mandi Highway and an alternative route via Pandoh have been damaged, leading to the suspension of traffic movement.