At least nine people were killed after a Shiv temple in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla collapsed because of a heavy downpour on Monday, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sikhu said. Several people are believed to be trapped in a landslide, and police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) authorities are carrying out rescue operations.
"Distressing news has emerged from Shimla, where the “Shiv Mandir” at Summer Hill collapsed as a result of the heavy rainfall. As of now, nine bodies have been retrieved. The local administration is diligently working to clear the debris in order to rescue individuals who may still be trapped," the chief minister wrote in a tweet.
Several killed in Shimla landslides
In the Solan region, seven individuals from a family were killed in a cloudburst. Two houses in Solan were washed away following the cloudburst on Sunday night. While six individuals were rescued, seven others were killed in Jadon village, a police official said, as quoted by the news agency PTI.
Those dead have been recognised as Harnam (38), Kamal Kishore (35), Hemlata (34), Rahul (14), Neha (12), Golu (8) and Raksha (12), Director of Police, Solan, Gaurav Singh said.
Deputy Commissioner of Shimla Aditya Negi told PTI that many individuals were feared to be buried in the two landslides and rescue operations.
As per the state emergency operation center, 752 roads were shut down in the state on account of the calamity. All schools and universities in the state were shut on Monday.'
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