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Key Points

The search continues for an 8-year-old boy missing after a devastating landslide struck a private bus in Bilaspur's Balughat area. Local residents revealed this was the second landslide at the same spot in just eight days, raising serious safety concerns. Police, Home Guard, and fire department teams worked through the night with local assistance to recover 15 bodies and rescue two injured children. The incident occurred when heavy rains triggered falling debris that hit the bus traveling through the hilly Jhandutta assembly segment.

Key Points: Search Continues for Missing Boy After Bilaspur Landslide Bus Tragedy

  • Rescue operation began at 6:40 am for missing 8-year-old boy in landslide area
  • Post-mortems underway for 15 deceased with extra doctors arranged by CMO
  • Local residents assisted police in saving two children from the wreckage
  • Similar landslide occurred at same location just eight days before this tragedy
2 min read

Himachal: Rescue operation still underway for missing 8-year-old in landslide-triggered bus accident

Rescue teams search for 8-year-old after landslide kills 15 in Bilaspur bus accident. Locals warn of repeated landslides at same dangerous spot.

"We were discussing yesterday that this point is really bad. A landslide occurred here 8 days ago, too. - Pawan Sharma, Local Resident"

Bilaspur, October 8

Search Operations are still underway for an 8-year-old boy after a landslide struck a private bus in the Balughat area of the Jhandutta assembly segment in Bilaspur, killing 15 people, police said on Wednesday.

SP Bilaspur Sandeep Dhawal informed that the rescue operation commenced today at 6:40 am for the boy.

SP Dhawal also informed that the post-mortem of the 15 deceased in the accident is being carried out at the Community Health Centre in Barthin. He said that the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) has arranged extra doctors for the Post-mortems.

Meanwhile, locals from the site of the accident spoke with ANI and said that a similar landslide had taken place here eight days ago.

"We were discussing yesterday that this point is really bad. A landslide occurred here 8 days ago, too. Department cleared the debris just a little and let everything else remain there...The bus used to leave from Malari for Marotan every day at 8.45 am. It used to ply twice a day...Thankfully, it wasn't raining at the time and the bodies could be recovered by 1.30 am," Pawan Sharma, a local, said.

"Around 15 bodies have been recovered. Two live victims were found. Search for one more person has been underway since last night," another local, Rajkumar Kaushal, informed about the rescue operations.

Earlier, Bilaspur SP Sandeep Dhawal said local residents assisted in saving the two children.

"Upon receiving information about this incident, we dispatched our police rescue team, Home Guard rescue team, and fire department vehicles to the scene. Local people provided a great deal of assistance in this incident and saved two children," he said.

The incident occurred when the private bus, carrying passengers through the hilly stretch, was suddenly struck by falling debris following heavy rains in the region. Local administration, police, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations.

Of the 15 killed, the bodies of nine men and four women have been recovered. Two children who sustained injuries have been shifted to AIIMS Bilaspur.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rajesh Q
Why wasn't proper action taken when the first landslide happened 8 days ago? The department just cleared "a little debris" and left the rest? This negligence has cost 15 lives. Authorities need to be held accountable for such lapses.
S
Sarah B
My heart goes out to all the families affected. The resilience of local communities in Himachal during such disasters is remarkable. Hope the rescue teams find the missing child soon 🙏
A
Arjun K
This shows how vulnerable our hill stations have become due to climate change and infrastructure pressures. We need better disaster management protocols and regular safety audits of vulnerable routes.
M
Michael C
The quick response by police, Home Guard, and local residents saved two children's lives. This coordination is crucial in disaster situations. Hope the injured children recover completely at AIIMS.
N
Nisha Z
As someone who travels frequently in hilly areas, this news is terrifying. We need better road safety measures and regular monitoring of landslide-prone zones. My prayers with the families who lost their loved ones.

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