Homes reduced to rubble, two feared buried in Kullu landslide

A massive landslide struck Kullu town late last night, flattening several houses in the inner Akhara Bazar area and leaving two men feared trapped beneath the debris. The disaster has once again highlighted the fragile safety conditions in the locality — issues that residents say have been ignored for years.

The missing victims have been identified as Bekar Ahmed Mir of Kupwara in Kashmir and Narender Thakur from Beasar village in Kullu. Both were living in rented rooms, which were completely destroyed when the hillside gave way. Despite hours of rescue work, teams have yet to locate the men.

One survivor recounted the terrifying moment he heard a thunderous rumble and leapt from his room just in time to save himself. Alongside the rented rooms, the homes of Sita and Abhinav were completely demolished, while Anju’s house sustained partial damage.

Deputy Commissioner Torul S Raveesh and Superintendent of Police Karthikeyan Gokulachandran reached the spot soon after the incident to oversee the rescue operations. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), local police and fire services worked through the night, but the search remains fruitless.

The tragedy has reignited long-standing fears in Inner Akhara Bazar, where residents live under constant threat of landslides. Many blame unregulated construction in the Math area, located above Akhara Bazar, for destabilising the slopes and weakening the Khaned zone. Poor drainage and sewerage systems have only worsened the problem, locals allege. During heavy rains, water overflow seeps into the soil, loosening it and endangering nearly 200 people living below.

Despite repeated warnings, residents say the authorities have done little to address the crisis. The Municipal Council and the Jal Shakti Department have allegedly been passing responsibility back and forth. Now, the community is demanding urgent measures: proper drainage and sewerage channelisation in Math, reinforced concrete protection walls in the Khaned zone and accountability for homeowners whose negligence has exacerbated the risk.

As the rescue mission continues, the families of the missing wait anxiously, clinging to hope. For inner Akhara Bazar, the landslide stands as a grim reminder of the cost of official apathy — and of the urgent need for preventive action before more lives are lost.