Kinnaur landslide: President Ram Nath Kovind condoles loss of lives; dials HP Guv & CM

President Ram Nath Kovind, on Thursday, expressed his condolences over the loss of lives in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district due to a landslide. Few vehicles were hit by the landslide on Wednesday near the Reckong Peo-Shimla Highway. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the kin of those who died and an additional Rs 50,000 to the injured by the landslide.

President Kovind concerned about people's safety

President Kovind expressed his concerns over the loss of lives in the landslide-hit districts of Kinnaur. President Kovind tweeted, "I spoke with Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajesh Arlekar and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur to know more details about the tragedy. I expressed my concern about the people's safety." In another tweet, the President added, "I was told that all steps are being taken to being the affected people to safety. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and I wish speedy recovery of the injured."  

Landslide hits Reckong Peo-Shimla Highway 

A 30-seater Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus, a truck, and four cars were among the vehicles that were hit by a landslide in the Reckong Peo-Shimla Highway on Wednesday in the afternoon. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur is to visit the affected site of Kinnaur on Thursday. Rescue operations were halted as terrible weather conditions meant that it had to be stopped the night before. The CM stated, “Till now 13 bodies have been recovered from the landslide site in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and state police teams are engaged in search and rescue operations at the Kinnaur landslide site."

CM Thakur on Wednesday said that the number of people under the debris of the buried bus is still not confirmed. He continued, "We still don't know the total number of passengers who were travelling on the bus. The bus is still buried under debris. If the weather permits, Army will deploy its chopper for the rescue operation. I plan to visit the landslide site in Kinnaur today." 

(Image Credits - PTI)