Close X
Saturday, November 30, 2024
ADVT 
India

Landslide In Himachal: 7 Dead After Boulders Hit Manikaran Sahib Gurdwara

Darpan News Desk IANS, 18 Aug, 2015 09:49 AM
    Seven people were killed and nine injured on Tuesday when boulders and debris rolled down a hillside onto a famous Sikh shrine at Manikaran in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, officials said. The sanctum sanctorum is safe.
     
    "Seven people were killed and nine injured in the landslide. Part of the residential area in the shrine is badly damaged," Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kanwar told IANS over phone.
     
    A mound of boulders and debris from the hill atop the eight-storeyed residential complex got dislodged due to the recent heavy rain and struck it around 2 p.m.
     
    Rescue personnel from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), police and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were involved in the relief and rescue operation.
     
     
    SSB official Sandeep Yadav told reporters that a huge boulder hit the building, badly damaging 3-4 rooms in four floors. A majority of the debris fell into the Parvati river, flowing near the building.
     
    He said the entire area has been vacated as there were chances of more landslides.
     
    Rescue worker Pankaj Goswami said there was a stampede-like condition at the time of the incident.
     
    He said there were no details about the number of people staying in the residential complex at the time of the landslide.
     
    "At present, a search is on to locate the people, if any, buried under the mound of debris," he added.
     
    Official sources said the sanctum sanctorum and the Hindu temple located in its vicinity were safe.
     
     
    The Manikaran shrine, located in the Parvati Valley along the banks of the Parvati river, is some 50 km from the Kullu district headquarters and 250 from state capital Shimla.
     
    The river is also on spate these days due to heavy rain in its catchment.
     
    The area is also known for its hot springs of water with high sulphur concentration.
     
    Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh expressed grief over the incident.
     
    This was a second major tragedy in the vicinity of the Manikaran shrine.
     
     
    An overcrowded tourist bus from Punjab bound for the Sikh shrine with 69 passengers onboard skidded off the road and fell into the swollen Parvati river on July 23.
     
    Eighteen bodies have been taken out so far, while 23 were rescued. The remaining 28 people and the bus are still missing.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    People's President, Missile Man Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Laid To Rest

    The body of Kalam - warmly called the people's president - was draped in the Indian tricolour and brought to the burial site at Pei Karumbu here in a flower-bedecked gun carriage, escorted by columns of the three armed services.

    People's President, Missile Man Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Laid To Rest

    Rs.25 lakh And Police Job For Slain Punjab Police Officer Baljit Singh's Son

    Rs.25 lakh And Police Job For Slain Punjab Police Officer Baljit Singh's Son
    Besides, the state government announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs.25 lakh to the police officer's family.

    Rs.25 lakh And Police Job For Slain Punjab Police Officer Baljit Singh's Son

    Indian President Pranab Mukherjee Shows No Mercy, Yakub Memon To Hang Tomorrow

    Indian President Pranab Mukherjee Shows No Mercy, Yakub Memon To Hang Tomorrow
    Yakub Memon seemed set to go to the gallows with the Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissing his petition against his July 30 execution and a fresh plea for clemency being rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee

    Indian President Pranab Mukherjee Shows No Mercy, Yakub Memon To Hang Tomorrow

    Kalam's Body Brought To Rameswaram, Modi To Attend Last Rites

    Kalam's Body Brought To Rameswaram, Modi To Attend Last Rites
    The body of Kalam, also a distinguished scientist and a teacher and popularly known as "People's President' and "Missile Man", reached this Hindu pilgrim town, around 600 km from Chennai, in the evening.

    Kalam's Body Brought To Rameswaram, Modi To Attend Last Rites

    Unsung Heroes Saved Many Lives In Gurdaspur Terror Attack

    Satpal, Darshan Kumar and Nanak Chand are no ordinary people as they are the ones who saved scores of innocent lives in this Punjab town during a terror attack.

    Unsung Heroes Saved Many Lives In Gurdaspur Terror Attack

    Gurdaspur Terror Strike: CCTV Footage Shows Well Armed Terrorists

    Gurdaspur Terror Strike: CCTV Footage Shows Well Armed Terrorists
    The three terrorists who unleashed terror in Dinanagar town of Punjab's Gurdaspur district were heavily armed and moving around in army fatigues, CCTV footage that emerged on Tuesday showed.

    Gurdaspur Terror Strike: CCTV Footage Shows Well Armed Terrorists