Voice
9, New Delhi Bureau: As many as nine people were killed and believed to have
been trapped when a Shiv temple in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla fell owing to
heavy rain on Monday. A rescue operation is presently ongoing at the location.
Police
and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel are conducting rescue
efforts at the Lord Shiva temple in the Summer Hill area. A police spokesman
informed IANS that five people had been rescued. Chief Minister Sukhvinder
Sukhu confirmed the death toll, saying nine remains have been recovered as of
today. "The local administration is working diligently to clear the debris
in order to rescue individuals who may still be trapped," he added in a
statement.
The
State Chief Minister tweeted, "Distressing news has come from Shimla,
where the Shiv Mandir at Summer Hill collapsed due to heavy rain." So far,
nine bodies have been recovered. The local government is working hard to clear
the rubble so that anyone who may still be trapped can be rescued. "Om
Shanti."
Police
and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel are conducting rescue
operations at the Lord Shiva temple in the Summer Hill
neighborhood. Several houses were buried in the mud and slush brought down
by the landslide.
According
to a police officer, the devotees had assembled to offer prayers on the
occasion of Sawan, and roughly 25–30 people were present in the temple when the
tragedy occurred.
A
cloudburst killed seven members of a family in the Solan area. Following the
cloudburst on Sunday night, two houses in Solan were swept away. Police said
that while six people were saved, seven others died in Jadon village.
Harnam
(38), Kamal Kishore (35), Hemlata (34), Rahul (14), Neha (12), Golu (8), and
Raksha (12) have been identified as the deceased, according to Director of
Police, Solan, Gaurav Singh.
Aditya
Negi, Deputy Commissioner of Shimla, told PTI that many people were suspected
of being buried in the two landslides and rescue operations.