Tragedy in Lahaul-Spiti: Landslide Crushes Taxi on Udaipur–Killar Highway in Himachal, 13 Dead

A passenger taxi carrying an estimated 10 to 12 people was buried under a massive landslide along the Udaipur–Killar road near Kadu Nala in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti district.

The vehicle was en route from Kullu toward the Pangi Valley when a mountain slope suddenly collapsed, dumping tons of heavy debris, mud, and boulders directly onto the passing taxi.

Road Reopened Brief Moments Before Collapse

According to local reports, the Udaipur–Killar highway had been blocked on Thursday due to earlier landslides triggered by continuous rainfall. Passengers aboard the taxi had stayed overnight at Tindi waiting for the stretch to be cleared.

The vehicle resumed its journey on Friday morning shortly after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) reopened the highway to traffic. However, as the taxi reached the vulnerable Kadu Nala stretch, a fresh wave of rockfall and earth came crashing down.

Emergency Operations Underway

Teams from the Tindi Police station, Lahaul-Spiti district administration, and emergency relief units rushed to the site shortly after receiving information about the collapse.

Rescue personnel managed to pull one injured passenger alive from the rubble. The victim was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.

Heavy machinery and earthmovers have been deployed to clear the large volume of debris to reach the buried vehicle and locate the remaining passengers.

District authorities confirmed that search and rescue operations are being carried out on a war footing, though heavy continuous rains in the region continue to hamper clearance efforts and pose risks of secondary landslides.

Pangi Resident Commissioner Amandeep Singh advised commuters to avoid non-essential travel along the hazardous landslide-prone corridors until weather conditions stabilize and official safety clearances are issued.

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