Himachal rains: After landslides, fear grips Shimla, residents move to safe places

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 19 (ANI): In the aftermath of the massive landslides that occurred in various parts of Shimla, district administration authorities have started shifting residents of affected areas to safe locations. 

According to officials, more than 250 people from landslide-affected areas have been shifted to safe places in the last three days. The list of these areas includes Krishana Nagar, Downdale, and Fagli. 

Locals said that they are moving out of their houses for safety. 

Rekha Devi, one of the residents of the Summer Hill area said, “Around five to six families that lived here have already vacated their houses as they have become dangerous. We are also moving out as our building has become dangerous.”

“This is happening for the first time. I’ve never seen such a situation in my life,” she added. 

Multiple teams of NDRF are also carrying out search and rescue operations in landslide-affected areas across the district. 

NDRF Inspector Nafees Khan, while speaking to ANI on Saturday, said 16 bodies were recovered yesterday, and further operations are underway to recover the four missing bodies. 

“Today is the sixth day of the search and rescue operation. We retrieved 16 bodies yesterday. Our search operation is underway for four other bodies that have been reported. NDRF, SDRF, and Army teams are present at the spot. We are doing everything manually,” he said. 

Earlier on August 14, Several houses collapsed in Shimla after the incidents of landslides. 

According to officials, a hill collapsed in the Krishna Nagar area, following which, around five to seven houses collapsed. 

After the massive landslide that struck the Summer Hill area of Shimla and the subsequent mishap in which a temple was washed away, locals and visitors worried that the calamity posed a threat to the iconic building of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS). 

The landside and flash food hit the temple after the backyard wall of the iconic building collapsed. 

SDM Shimla (Urban), Bhanu Gupta, said that the landslide destroyed the temple and that a rescue operation was going on. The landslide happened at the backside of the campus. 

“The landslide happened on the back side of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study building. We have requested that the forest department come and visit and give us a report so that we can pass an order. The landslide has occurred away from the building,” he added.