15 Dead, several feared trapped as landslide hits bus in Himachal's Bilaspur

At least 15 passengers have died and several others are feared trapped after a massive landslide struck a private bus in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, officials said. The tragedy occurred around 6:40 pm in the Bhalughat area when a large portion of a mountain gave way, crushing the bus carrying 25–30 passengers. The bus was en route from Marotan to Ghumarwin. Fifteen bodies have been recovered so far, while several people are believed to be trapped under the debris, and hope for their survival is fading, officials added.

The deceased have been identified as Naksh, Aarav, Sanjeev, Vimla, Kamlesh, Kanta Devi, Anjana, Bakshi Ram, Narender Sharma, Krishan Lal, Chuni Lal, Rajnish, Sonu, Sharif Khan, and Praveen Kumar. Rescue operations are ongoing. Two siblings, Arushi and Shaurya, were among those rescued and are undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bilaspur, an official said.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who was attending Kullu Dussehra, arrived in Bilaspur from Kullu late at night to oversee the rescue operations and meet the victims’ families. The region has been experiencing intermittent rainfall since Monday, making the fragile mountain slopes unstable.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge were among the leaders who condoled the loss of lives in the incident. PM Modi announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased, while the injured would receive ₹50,000. “Saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Modi wrote on X.

In a post on X, Shah said that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have joined the rescue operations. Fifteen people, including the bus driver and conductor, have died, BJP MLA from Jhandutta J.R. Katwal, who was on the spot, told PTI over the phone. Police and district administration officials are at the site, and rescue operations are in full swing, said Bilaspur Superintendent of Police Sandeep Dhawal.

“The whole mountain came crashing down on the bus,” said an eyewitness assisting in the rescue operations. “My wife and two children, and my brother’s wife and his two children were returning home from a function when the tragedy struck. My children are alive,” said Raj Kumar, whose children are undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bilaspur.

Videos of rescue operations showing JCBs and cranes in action are circulating online. Expressing grief over the incident, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed officials to expedite rescue operations, an official statement said.

Congress president Kharge stated that CM Sukhu is personally overseeing relief and rescue efforts, and the state government is providing all possible assistance to the victims. In a post on X in Hindi, Kharge described the tragic bus accident in Bilaspur as deeply saddening and unfortunate. “The state government is continuing its rescue operation on a war footing. The chief minister is personally overseeing the relief and rescue efforts, and the government is providing all possible assistance to the victims. Our deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families. We stand with them,” he said. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the news of the accident is deeply saddening.