Landslide hits private bus in Himachal Pradesh amid extreme rainfall, killing 15.
Rescue operations ongoing; one child reported missing, three passengers hospitalised.
Experts link rising heavy rainfall events to Himalayan climate and urbanisation.
The landslide triggered by heavy rain on the evening of October 7 in Himachal Pradesh struck a private bus and took 15 lives, with one child still missing, officials told HT. The bus was carrying 28 to 30 passengers.
Bilaspur recorded 12.7 mm rainfall on October 7. According to reports, at least three people have been rescued from the bus and admitted to a hospital in Berthin.
1 December 2025
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HT reported that the accident took place at about 6.30 pm when the landslide hit the bus, which was on its way from Marottan to Ghumariwin. According to the police, a portion of the mountain fell on a private bus. JCBs have been deployed to remove debris, with relief and rescue operations underway.
Local administration, police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations, which continued late into the night. The accident occurred due to a landslide in Bhalu near Bharthi. The bus was completely crushed by debris and stones falling on its roof.
Commenting on the accident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X that he was saddened by the loss of lives in the mishap and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh to the kins of the dead.
Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu also expressed deep condolences over the tragic accident in his post on X. Expressing condolences to the deceased, he prayed for the peace of the departed souls. He stated that the state government stands firmly with the affected families during this difficult time. He also assured that he will provide them with all possible assistance.
The Chief Minister is in constant contact with the district administration and directed them to expedite relief and rescue operations. He also directed them to ensure that the injured are immediately taken to hospitals and adequate arrangements are made for their treatment.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri confirmed to HT that 15 people have died. He added that the total number of passengers in the bus is unknown.
State of Himalayan States
According to TOI, about 765 very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall events have struck the Himalayan states this monsoon, triggering landslides and floods that battered roads, homes and villages across Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir.
IMD data shows the number of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall spells in 2025 is the highest in five years, with still a week left for the season till Sept-end. The tally marks a steep rise from 401 such events in 2021, 564 in 2022, 703 in 2023 and 505 in 2024, indicating an unsettling trend of more frequent and intense downpours in the fragile region.
Experts attribute the growing number of urban settlements and road projects in addition to steep Himalayan slopes for magnifying the impact of such deluges.
