New Delhi: Amid incessant rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, four more bodies were recovered from the debris of a collapsed Shiv temple in Shimla on Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner of Shimla Aditya Negi said.
He said that a total of 12 bodies have been recovered so far from the site of the landslide in the Summer Hill area.
"NDRF's two companies have been deployed. SDRF, Home Guard, state police & Indian Army have also been deployed...Rescue operation is underway...," he told ANI.
The number of deaths in the twin landslide sites in Shimla’s Summer Hill and Fagli has risen to 17, officials said, reported PTI.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur told reporters that rescue operations are underway and the central government is providing all possible help to the state.
"Relief operations are currently underway. We are in touch with the state government. The Centre is providing all possible help," he said, reported ANI.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the death toll was likely to go up as he visited the affected areas to take stock of the situation. He said Solan, Shimla, Mandi, and Hamirpur were among the worst-affected districts in the state.
“Around 55 people have lost their lives in the state till now. The death toll might go up. Restoration work is being done on a war footing. Chandigarh-Shimla 4-lane highway along with other arterial roads has been opened," CM Sukhu said.
CM Sukhu said the state witnessed the maximum number of cloudburst incidents this monsoon compared to the last 50 years.
A total of 170 incidents of cloudburst and landslide have been reported in the state this monsoon season and about 9,600 houses damaged, reported PTI.