Four of migrant family rescued after landslide hits Jawali area

Four members of migrant family were injured when their makeshift hut collapsed and fell into a shallow gorge near an old building of the Civil Hospital in Jawali in Kangra district yesterday.

Torrential rain had triggered a landslide that buried the temporary dwelling erected by a migrant family adjacent to the hospital.

Four members of the family — a couple and their two children — were trapped under the debris. Alert hospital staff on night duty, along with local residents, rushed to the spot and rescued all four.

According to information, Sanjay (33) and his wife Radha Devi (25) received serious injuries, while their children — Ragini (7) and Anurag (5) — escaped with minor wounds.

They were admitted to the Civil Hospital, Jawali.

The migrant workers had been engaged by a contractor for the construction of an additional hospital block. They were residing in three temporary huts situated precariously close to the existing block — an area vulnerable to landslides and subsidence. Following the incident, apprehension has grown over the structural safety of the hospital building.

Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Dr Irshan Mohammad informed The Tribune that as a precautionary measure, the indoor ward of the hospital had been vacated, with patients shifted temporarily to the OPD wards.

The injured couple has been referred to Civil Hospital, Nurpur, for CT scan, though doctors confirmed they are out of danger. The incident has been reported to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate and higher authorities.

Meanwhile, Block Medical Officer Aman Dua stated that the department was already cognisant of the hazard-prone site. He added that Rs 14 lakh had been deposited with the Public Works Department several months ago for the construction of protective structures and a retaining wall.

The PWD is expected to commence the work after the monsoon recedes.