Shimla: At least 13 people, including a six-month-old infant, were killed after a taxi was crushed by falling boulders on the Udaipur-Killar road near Kadu Nallah in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul-Spiti district on Friday.
According to the district administration, the Tata Sumo was carrying 15 passengers from Kullu to Killar in the Pangi Valley when large boulders rolled down the hillside and struck the vehicle. Two occupants reportedly survived after jumping out of the vehicle moments before the impact.
The force of the impact completely mangled the taxi, and its rear portion caught fire. Videos from the accident site showed the badly damaged vehicle engulfed in flames. Passersby and Indian Army personnel at the scene attempted to extinguish the fire before rescue teams arrived.
Lahaul-Spiti Deputy Commissioner Kiran Bhadana confirmed the deaths, while Bharmour MLA Janak Raj said all but the two survivors lost their lives in the accident. The identities of the deceased were yet to be officially established.
Preliminary information suggested that the passengers had been stranded in Tindi after the Udaipur-Killar road remained closed a day earlier. They resumed their journey towards Pangi after the route was reopened on Friday.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed grief over the tragedy and directed the Lahaul-Spiti Deputy Commissioner to supervise relief and rescue operations. He assured all possible assistance to the bereaved families and ordered the best possible treatment for the injured.
In a separate incident, a woman was killed and seven others were injured after a landslide struck a family travelling from Kullu to Simsa Mata Temple in the Gumma area of Jogindernagar in Mandi district. Authorities said continuous rainfall over the past few days has led to an increase in landslides across the state.
