Shimla: At least nine tourists were killed and three others injured due to massive landslides and subsequent rolling down of huge boulders from a hill near Butsari area of Sangla valley of Kinnaur district.
SHO Sangla said that out of eleven people sitting in a tempo traveller nine lost their lives and two were injured. Eight died on the spot while one died in the hospital. One of the local people was also injured in the mishap.
The deceased were identified as Pratiksha Sunil Patil (27) of Nagpur of Maharashtra, woman-Deepa Sharma(34) of Robar of Jaipur, Amog Bapat(27) of Dorbha Darri Chhatisgarh, Driver- Umrab Singh(42) Tegore Garden west Delhi, Kumar Ulhas Vedpathak (37), Anurag Biyani(31) , Maya Devi Biyani(female-55) , Richa Biyani(female-25) Madhoganj Sikar Rajasthan, and Satish Katakbar(34) of Chhatisgarh.
Injured are identified s Shiril Obroy of West Delhi, Naveen Bhardwaj of Mohali Punjab and Rajeet Singh of Sangla Kinnaur (pedestrian).
Two video shoot by local people showed that massive landslide occurred near a top of a hill in Sangla valley. The boulders started rolling down the withering hills causing devastation.
The boulders caused massive devastation on the left bank of Baspa river. It knocked down a massive bridge linking the Sangla and Butsari village. The video showed how a rock hit the bridge and it crumbled in the Baspa river the tributary of Satluj river.
At the time of the incident, numerous vehicles were running on the Sangla Chhitkul road on the left and right bank.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur also condoled the demise of nine tourists.
At the time of the landslide it was mainly dry. The hills of Kinnaur district started withering down, having fragile ecology and jolted by the number of power projects coming in the tribal district. The road mishap, landslides and cloud bursts have taken about 170 lives in the monsoon season in the state. (UNI)