Ishtiyaq Kar
Srinagar, Sept 04 (KINS): A devastating landslide struck Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district on Thursday, reducing two houses to rubble and leaving at least seven people feared dead.
Among the victims are five labourers from Gurez’s Tulail area in Bandipora district, one from Kangan in central Kashmir, and one local resident of Kullu.
Rescue teams have so far retrieved the body of one victim from Tulail, while frantic efforts continue to trace the others.
The incident has sent shockwaves in the remote valleys of Gurez.
Expressing grief over the tragedy, MLA Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi called it “an unbearable loss for poor families.”
“This is a heart-wrenching incident. I have been informed that five of the victims are from Tulail, one from Kangan, and one local to Kullu. These were all poor men who had gone there only to earn bread and butter for their families. Sadly, they have returned as tragedies,” Gurezi told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).
The MLA said he had spoken to the Deputy Commissioner of Kullu and the local MLA, who assured him of complete support.
“The administration has promised that once the bodies are recovered, they will be shifted to Jammu. The government has also assured that the families will be compensated. But no compensation can heal the pain these families are going through,” he added.
Gurezi recalled visiting one of the victim’s homes in Tulail. “Their poverty is unimaginable. They had pinned all their hopes on the young man who went to Kullu to earn. This is a tragedy that words cannot describe.”
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) confirmed that around 12–13 people were feared trapped in the debris. “An NDRF team carried out collapsed structure search and rescue (CSSR) operations, during which three injured persons were rescued and one body was recovered. Search and rescue operations are continuing to trace the remaining trapped victims,” the NDRF posted on X.
The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister’s Office also expressed deep sorrow. In a post on X, it wrote:
“Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives in the Kullu landslide. Our prayers are with the bereaved families. The government will extend every possible assistance to the affected households in this hour of grief.”
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has expressed grief over the unfortunate landslide incident in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, in which a resident of J&K has lost his life, and many others are feared trapped.
“The landslide incident in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, is unfortunate and saddening. A resident of J&K has lost his life, and many others are feared trapped under the debris. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family, and I pray for the safety and well-being of others,” the Lieutenant Governor said.(KINS)
