Six buried, 1 killed in Kullu landslide

A devastating landslide struck Inner Akhara Bazar area of Kullu town early this morning, damaging two houses and leaving six individuals feared buried beneath the debris. One body has been recovered. Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), local police and the fire brigade managed to pull three survivors from the rubble. One critically injured victim was referred to AIIMS Bilaspur, while the other two are receiving treatment at Kullu Hospital.

Two adjacent houses also sustained structural damage. In response, the district administration deployed two excavators and additional machinery to aid the rescue efforts. Public announcements were made urging residents of Inner Akhara Bazar and the Math area above the Bazar to evacuate the area immediately.

The deceased has been identified as Mehraj Laul (30), a resident of Bandipur district in Kashmir. The six individuals feared trapped are Hussain (45), Rashid Shekh (47) and Gulzar (51) from Ganderbal district; Tahir Shekh (23) and Sajad Ahmad Wani (33) from Bandipur and Suman, a local resident of Inner Akhara Bazar. Among the injured, Abhinav Sankhyan (32) was referred to Bilaspur in critical condition, while Radhika (73) and Kamlesh (60) are hospitalised in Kullu.

A second landslide in the same vicinity damaged the Akhara Bazar–Sultanpur road and a house near Jarait. The landslide series, which began near Pipal Mandir, has extended to Jarait, flooding Inner Akhara Road with slush from the overflowing Pipal Mandir nullah. Additional vulnerabilities have emerged in the Gandhi Nagar area, where several homes are now at risk due to a landslide. Damage was also reported on the Aut–Luhri NH-305 near Ropri in the Anni subdivision. Piplage nullah in Parla Bhuntar was also in spate.

Rescue operations for two individuals trapped in the September 2 landslide in Inner Akhara Bazar were officially discontinued today as they remain untraced. With inclement weather persisting, most residents have fled to safer locations. In a show of solidarity, local residents have organised langars (community feasts) to support those displaced by the disaster.

Locals from Akhara Bazar expressed deep frustration, stating they had repeatedly appealed to the district administration, local leaders and even a Cabinet minister to address drainage and sewerage issues in the Math area and curb unauthorised construction and encroachments. Despite all this, they said they received only empty assurances. A local resident Ajay said that the minister had assured protection walls but the Public Works Department denied having funds.

Residents criticised both the authorities’ negligence and the complacency of those living in the Math area, blaming these factors for the current crisis. Many homes in Inner Akhara Bazar and Math area have now become structurally unsound and uninhabitable.