Timely arrival of rescue machinery could have saved more lives, says MLA
Shimla | TNR
ITBP rescue force has spotted the ill-fated HRTC bus that was buried under rubble following a massive landslide on Wednesday in Nyugalseri, Kinnaur.
3 more bodies recovered, death toll 13
Bodies of three more passengers were recovered, taking the death toll to 13. Earlier, 13 people were rescued, three of who are reported to be in a critical condition. At least 17 people are suspected to be missing in the accident. One of the injured, Jabti Devi, was first taken to a hospital in Bhavnagar and then to Rampur for treatment. She has now been referred to Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, for further treatment.
Bus hurtled down
The bus apparently hurtled down 80 to 100 metres into the flowing Sutlej river, owing to the force and speed of the falling rocks. The rescue personnel recovered bits and pieces of the vehicle’s parts, indicating the intensity of the accident.
Timely arrival of rescue machinery could have saved more lives : MLA
Congress MLA from Kinnaur, Jagat Singh Negi, who visited the spot, said there was a dire need for Himachal to pep up its disaster management and rescue facilities, considering the number of such disasters in the state in the recent past. He pointed out that the rescue operations during this horrific landslide had been delayed since the necessary equipment for rescue did not arrive on time. Several more lives could have been saved otherwise, he said.
Quoting locals in the area, Negi said that just before the landslide, there was a traffic jam at the spot of the accident as two motorists had gotten into an argument, preventing the flow of traffic. Due to this, people could not get a chance to save their lives when the landslide occurred. These, however, were unconfirmed reports, he said.
