New Delhi, India – At least 15 people were killed Tuesday evening after a landslide struck a bus traveling through India’s northern state of Himachal Pradesh, officials said Wednesday.
“In this horrific mishap, 15 people lost their lives, including nine men, four women, and two innocent children, while two children were injured, and the search for one continues,” Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), Reuters reported.
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The National Disaster Response Force also confirmed the toll. Assistant Commandant Karam Singh told ANI news that the incident occurred around 6:50 p.m. local time. He said about 18 people were on board, and that while 15 bodies have been recovered, “two live victims may yet be rescued, and one person is still missing.”
Rescue teams have continued searching amid heavy rains that destabilized mountain slopes across the region. The bus was struck by falling rocks and mud along a mountainous roadway in Bilaspur district.
The landslide comes amid a violent monsoon season across the Himalayas. India’s meteorological department reported some districts have recorded rainfall exceeding 40% above historical norms, causing the ground to saturate and increasing the risk of such disasters.
Environmental groups warn that the fragile geology of Himalayan slopes is being further stressed by climate change and large infrastructure projects such as highways and dams, which can destabilize hillsides.
In addition to the tragedy in Bilaspur, the state of Himachal Pradesh has recorded more than 100 major landslides this monsoon season, with hundreds of deaths attributed to rain-related events.
This event follows a sequence of climate-linked disasters in the region, including flooding in neighboring Uttarakhand earlier this year that left dozens dead and thousands displaced.
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