A devastating landslide in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh claimed the lives of at least 15 people late Tuesday. The victims were passengers on a bus traveling near the Bilaspur district when the landslide, caused by several days of heavy rainfall, occurred. The bus was estimated to be carrying between 20 to 25 passengers at the time of the incident.
The victims included nine men, four women, and two children, as reported by local law enforcement. In addition to the fatalities, three children were injured and subsequently received treatment at a local hospital. This information was confirmed by a statement from the office of Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the state’s highest elected official.
Rescue operations continued into Wednesday, with efforts concentrated on finding missing passengers who are feared to have perished in the landslide. The region has been experiencing sporadic rainfall since Monday, which has further destabilized the already fragile mountain slopes.
The incident has drawn attention from the country’s top officials. President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed their condolences following the deadly landslide.
The South Asian region, encompassing countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, the Maldives, and Nepal, has been dealing with the impacts of extreme rainfall this year. The heavy rains have led to widespread flooding and landslides. In August, flash floods obliterated an entire village in Uttarakhand, another northern Indian state. Neighboring Nepal also experienced severe rainfall-induced mudslides and flooding over the weekend, resulting in at least 44 deaths.
The heavy rainfall in Nepal marked the conclusion of the country’s monsoon season, which typically begins in June and ends by mid-September. The downpour caused flooding in parts of Kathmandu, the capital, and led to the cancellation of all domestic flights on Saturday.
Climate change, attributed to human activities, is believed to be intensifying the monsoons in South Asia. The monsoon season, which traditionally runs from June to September and again from October to December, is now characterized by unpredictable and extreme rainfall followed by dry spells.