Shimla landslides: 5-storey house collapses amid heavy rain, evacuated just hours before
Authorities have launched an inquiry, and schools have been closed in several districts as heavy rainfall continues. The Shimla-Kalka railway line and national highway also suffered disruptions due to landslides.
New Delhi: A five-storey house in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, collapsed on Monday as incessant rains and landslides gripped the region. The dramatic collapse of the house was caught on camera and has since gone viral online.
The building, named Raj Niwas, was owned by Anjana Verma. According to the NDTV report, the family decided to vacate the building the night before after noticing alarming structural changes. The building had started developing cracks, reportedly due to nearby four-lane road construction.
Yashpal Verma, the village deputy head, raised concerns and blamed the construction company for continuing work despite early warning signs. According to him, the building had begun developing cracks last year, and several other houses in the area are also at risk.
The India Meteorological Department has forecasted heavy to very heavy rainfall in 10 districts of the hill state. These include Shimla, Kangra, Mandi, and Solan. The alert also warned of potential landslides and waterlogging.
The Shimla-Kalka UNESCO heritage railway line was disrupted due to landslides and fallen trees. A nearby landslide on the Shimla-Kalka national highway caused a 2–3 km-long traffic jam, NDTV reported.
In response, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu ordered the closure of schools in Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur, and Solan as a precautionary measure.
According to the news agency ANI, Cabinet Minister of Panchayati Raj, Anirudh Singh, visited the collapsed site. He confirmed that a formal inquiry has been ordered into the incident. Engineers are currently assessing the structural stability of surrounding buildings.
Affected families are being provided with rehabilitation and emergency relief. Amid growing public anger over the highway widening project, Shimla Rural Sub-Division Magistrate (SDM) Manjeet Sharma, while speaking to ANI, stated that if the inquiry finds fault with the highway contractors or the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), compensation will be arranged.
(Written by: Niswarth)