Nine tourists were killed and three injured, while a bridge collapsed after boulders rolled downhill due to landslides in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district on Sunday.
According to reports, the travellers were en route to Chitkul, a popular tourist spot in Himachal Pradesh.
Kinnaur SP Saju Ram Rana said rescue teams from local police force and Indo-Tibetan Border Police are working on an emergency basis at the spot after the Batseri bridge broke into two.
Terrifying video footage of a barrage of boulders coming down from atop the mountain were shared on social media. As the video shows, there was a massive splash in the Baspa river and then the Batseri bridge in Sangla valley caved in, as it couldn’t withstand the impact of heavy boulders. People are heard screaming as boulders crash into the river and damage small houses and cars.
See the video here posted on ANI’s Twitter handle:
#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh: Boulders roll downhill due to landslide in Kinnaur district resulting in bridge collapse; vehicles damaged pic.twitter.com/AfBvRgSxn0
— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2021
Offering condolences, the Prime Minister’s office announced ex-gratia payments for the families of deceased.
“An ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in an accident in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh. Rs 50,000 would be given to the injured,” the PMO stated.
