At least 46 people have been killed and many more injured in a massive landslip at Kotrupi on the Mandi-Pathankot National Highway near Jogindernagar in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday morning.

Two Himachal Pradesh roadways buses and some light vehicles were buried, when the disaster struck around 1 a.m. The vehicles were halting for a break at a place called Urla-Jogindernagar.

The toll could rise further as over 50 passengers were travelling in the two buses hit by the landslip, which was triggered by a cloud burst, officials said. “Forty-six bodies have been recovered, and of these 23 have been identified,” an official said.

Rescue operations were suspended late evening as there were apprehensions of more landslips, he said. The rescue work would resume on Monday. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Army and the police rushed to the spot and heavy earth-moving machinery was deployed at the gorge where the two buses lay buried under a heap of debris.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his condolences in a tweet.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh visited the spot. He said eight passengers were travelling in the Manali-Katra bus, of whom three lost their lives. Five were rescued and taken to the zonal hospital in Mandi.

The Chief Minister said the State government would bear the medical expenses of the injured. He also met the bereaved family members and expressed condolences.

There were around 47 passengers in the second bus which was on its way from Manali to Chamba, an official said.

Part of hill ripped off

More than 100 Army personnel of 9 Grenadier reached the site from Palampur.

According to witnesses, a 100-metre portion of a big hill was ripped off and a one-km stretch of road disappeared.

An immediate relief of ₹5 lakh has been provided to the kin of the dead. The State Revenue and Transport departments would provide compensation as per the relief manual, said Revenue Minister Kaul Singh Thakur. The highway has been closed and traffic diverted through Kamand-Kotla-Kullu.

(With PTI inputs)

*This copy has been corrected for a factual error</s>Heavy monsoon rains in northern India cause landslide that carried two buses off mountain in Himachal Pradesh.

At least six people were killed and dozens more were missing on Sunday after a massive landslide swept two buses off a hillside into a deep gorge in mountainous northern India.

The vehicles stopped for a tea break at midnight on Saturday in Himachal Pradesh state when tonnes of rock and mud swept away an entire stretch of highway roughly 200km from the state capital Shimla.

Six bodies were recovered so far but there were fears many more may have died, district official Sandeep Kadam said.

Rescue teams reached the scene but struggled in the dark and steep terrain with the army later joining the search.

"The other bus has been swept away, 800 metres down the steep hillside. We are not sure how many people were in this bus," Kadam told AFP news agency.

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Local media reported 30 people were feared dead in the disaster, while other reports suggested an even higher death toll.

Several houses were washed away in the torrential rain that hit the Mandi region in the Himalayan foothills.

Landslides are common in the area during the monsoon season, which runs from June through September.

The area around the village has been deforested extensively, increasing its vulnerability to landslides. Similar deforestation and environmental damage have caused floods and landslides in other parts of India.</s>At least 46 killed in massive landslide in northern India

At least 46 were reportedly killed in a massive landslide in northern India, Sputnik reported.

The landslide in India's Himachal Pradesh state was triggered by heavy monsoon rains.

Moreover, many houses were washed away in the torrential rain that hit the region in the Himalayan foothills.

Indian police said earlier in the day more bodies of victims of the disaster may still be found in the debris.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already expressed his condolences to the victims of the landslide.

"Pained by the loss of lives due to landslide related accidents in (Himachal Pradesh's) Mandi district. My condolences with the families of the deceased."</s>The landslide occurred around midnight on the Mandi-Pathankot national highway (Representational)</s>At least 46 people were killed and several others injured after a massive landslide buried two Himachal Pradesh roadway buses at Kotpuri near Padhar on the Mandi–Pathankot national highway on Sunday. “We have recovered 46 bodies recovered,” Mandi Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar told ANI. “We will search for more bodies buried under the debris on Monday.”

The toll is expected to rise as more than 50 passengers were travelling in the two buses. Some other vehicles were also hit by the landslide, which was triggered by a cloud burst, unidentified officials told PTI.

On Sunday, National Disaster Response Force personnel, the Army and the police were involved in the rescue operation. They managed to pull out five people from the two buses, which lay buried under debris, and took them to the zonal hospital at Mandi, reported the Hindustan Times.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh visited the spot later in the day, and said the rescue operation would continue till the last body was recovered. State Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased, while Transport Minister GS Bali said Rs 1 lakh would be given to each bereaved family.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, offered his condolences. “Pained by the loss of lives due to landslide related accidents in HP’s Mandi district,” he said on Twitter. “My condolences with the families of the deceased. I pray for the quick recovery of those injured.”</s>Prime Minister Narendra Modi today condoled the deaths that occurred due to a landslide in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district. A team of NDRF is going to Mandi to take part in rescue and relief operations and provide all possible assistance required, the PMO said. A number of people died after a massive landslide hit two buses of Himachal roadways on the Mandi-Pathankot National Highway. “Pained by the loss of lives due to landslide related accidents in HP’s Mandi district. My condolences with the families of the deceased,” Modi tweeted.

“I pray for the quick recovery of those injured in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh,” he added. Two Himachal roadway buses were hit by a massive landslide triggered by a cloudburst on the Mandi-Pathankot National Highway last night, leaving eight passengers dead while the fate of 22 others was not immediately known.</s>About 46 people have been killed and 10 missing on Sunday after a landslide that swept away several vehicles and stretch of a busy highway in Himachal Pradesh, Hindustan Times reports.

Mandi deputy commissioner, Sandeep Kadam said a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and army, in a rescue mission, dug through mounds of mud and stones to recover 46 bodies from the site.

The rescuers also pulled out five people alive from the rubble. They were rushed to the zonal hospital at Mandi with severe injuries.

Apart from the 200-metre stretch of the Mandi-Pathankot highway, the landslide that took place around 1.15am at Kotrupi village washed away two buses of Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC), two cars and a motorcycle. Five houses were also damaged.

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi took to Twitter to condole the incident.

“Pained by the loss of lives due to landslide-related accidents in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district. My condolences with the families of the deceased,” Modi tweeted.</s>At least two people have been killed and four rescued from the debris after a landslide hit Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi on Sunday. The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. The details of the victims and injured are awaited. Deputy Commissioner of Mandi, Sandeep Kadam confirms the death of two people and states “that three vehicles were stranded after the landslide. A bus had also rolled down to nearly 800 meters from the National Highway and four people have been rescued from the debris”. “The rain has hampered the rescue operation which is making it tough for the police and home guard,” Kadam added.

 Rescue operations are underway.</s>The rescue operations have resumed today morning in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh where at least 46 bodies were recovered following a landslide. 

 

The number of people killed due to the unfortunate incident could rise over 50. Passengers were travelling in the two buses hit by the landslide, triggered by a cloud burst, at Kotpuri near Padhar on the Mandi-Pathankot national highway, officials said.

 

A massive landslide struck two moving Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses at Kotrupi on the Pathakot-Mandi-Manali-Leh National Highway in the wee hours on Sunday.

 

The state transport minister, G S Bali, in a Facebook post on Sunday said that the death toll may reach 50. 

 

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh also left from Shimla to reach Mandi to take stock of the rescue operations.</s>At least five people were killed after three vehicles were hit by a landslide near Padhar area in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh in the wee hours of Sunday. According to a report by news agency ANI, at least six injured victims were rescued from the debris and taken to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. Rescue operations are reported to be currently underway in the region, as the number of injured victims may increase.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Deputy Commissioner of Mandi, Sandeep Kadam confirmed death of two people. He further said, “Three vehicles were stranded after the landslide. A bus had also rolled down to nearly 800 m from the National Highway and four people have been rescued from the debris.” Kadam added that rainfall in the region is causing troubles in the rescue operation. “The rain has hampered the rescue operations which is making it tough for the police and home guard,” he said.

Meanwhile, National Highway 21 from Mandi to Aut was closed for travelling passengers due to the threat of landslides.

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At least 44 are killed in a landslide on a highway in the northern India province of Himachal Pradesh.