7 dead after landslide hits Mandi's Sundernagar

A devastating landslide struck the Jangambag area in the Sundernagar subdivision of Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, claiming seven lives, including four members of a family, officials said on Wednesday.

The sudden landslip buried two residential houses and also trapped a passerby on Tuesday evening.

Mandi SP Sakshi Verma said residents heard loud rumbling noises moments before the hillside collapsed, engulfing homes located at the base.

“A massive rescue operation was launched immediately after the incident,” said the SP, adding that all six bodies were recovered from the rubble by late Tuesday night despite difficult conditions.

The body of the seventh victim was recovered on Wednesday.

The deceased have been identified as Gurpreet Singh (35), his daughter Kirat (3), his wife Bharti (30), Shanti Devi (70), and Surender Kaur (56). The sixth victim was an unidentified man who was riding a scooty at the time of the landslide.

Meanwhile, teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), and local police responded promptly.

The rescue operation was closely monitored on-site by Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan and Additional District Magistrate Dr Madan Kumar, and continued throughout the night under challenging weather conditions.

As a precaution, nearby houses were vacated due to fears of further slope instability.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut, and Sundernagar MLA Rakesh Jamwal expressed condolences to the grieving families.

The local meteorological office has issued an orange alert, warning of heavy rain in isolated areas of Mandi, Kangra, Sirmaur and Kinnaur districts on Wednesday and a yellow alert for heavy rain in Una and Bilaspur districts.