Five dead, at least 30 trapped after landslide sweeps away bus and other vehicles in northern India

At least five people have died and 30 people are feared trapped under debris after yet another landslide struck the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, sweeping away a tourist bus and several vehicles on a highway.

The massive landslide that damaged the Reckong Peo-Shimla highway in the state’s Kinnaur district on Wednesday has led to state authorities deploying around 300 troops of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), apart from disaster management units, at the accident site.

Ten people, including the driver and conductor of the bus, have been pulled out from a huge pile of mud and boulders.

Terrifying visuals filmed by locals showed a torrent of mud and boulders crashing down a hill into the valley and obliterating the highway, leaving behind a huge cloud of dust.

At least 12 people have been found injured in the landslide that left behind wrecked cars, truck and bus, according to police, who said between 25 and 30 people are still trapped under the rubble.

The rescue operation was being hindered intermittently as huge boulders continued to fall at the site, local lawmaker JS Negi told reporters.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and federal home minister Amit Shah spoke to Jairam Thakur, the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh and assured him of providing all possible assistance.

The rescue operation is going at the site of the accident with visuals showing troops digging through the debris to find survivors. One visual shows an injured survivor being carried on a stretcher by rescue officials.

In the aftermath of the landslide, images showed a wrecked truck dangling on the cliff and a car lying on the debris.

Torrential downpours have been sweeping parts of India during the ongoing monsoon season, leading to flash floods and a string of landslides in Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Maharashtra and other parts of the country.

Experts say climate change has altered rainfall patterns, leading to heavy rainfall along India’s western coast, while the warming Arabian Sea is driving more cyclones and intense rainfall over short periods of time.

Northern Himachal Pradesh state that sees scores of tourists has, however, remained the worst affected, with several landslides devastating parts of the states in the span of weeks.

In another part of Kinnaur last month, nine tourists were killed and several injured after heavy boulders came crashing down and pounded a huge bridge in the Sangla valley area.

The state has recorded 35 major landslides between 13 June to 30 July, making an increase of 116 per cent, according to a report by the Hindustan Times. Last year, 16 landslides were recorded across Himachal Pradesh, according to the report.