Three killed in Himachal landslides

Three men of Nepalese origin who were working in the fields were buried alive as recurring cloudbursts touched off landslides in Theog tehsil of Shimla district on Saturday.

Two persons were seriously injured and nearly 35 houses damaged, officials said.

The administration has issued an emergency alert to the people living along the swollen Beas and Parbati rivers. The landslides on National Highways 21 and 22 in various places in Shimla, Kinnaur, Mandi and Kullu districts hampered vehicular traffic. National Highway 305 was blocked at Aut and Luhri. Link roads were destroyed and several other roads blocked.

The cloudbursts caused the most damage at Nidra village in the Kumarsain area. Apple trees with fruit were uprooted in many villages, people said.

Kullu came under heavy rain and cloudbursts over the past two days. The Jibhi area of Banjar, near the Tandi rivulet, reported heavy losses. Nearly a dozen vehicles were washed away in the turbulent waters, and many camping sites were destroyed. Government and private properties and fruit and other crops were damaged.

Banjar town recorded the highest rainfall of 91 mm followed by Sundernagar with 81 mm and Jogindernagar in Mandi with 74 mm.

Minor landslides and a rainfall of 54 mm were reported in Shimla. Trees were uprooted in the Vikas Nagar and Tutikandi areas, damaging cars parked on the roads. Water and telephone lines were cut.An official of the local meteorological office said there were chances of heavy rain in some places in the State till Monday, or even up to Thursday.

Body recovered

The body of one more pilgrim travelling on a tourist bus that plunged into the Parbati river in Kullu last week was recovered. More than 30 persons are still missing. The bus, on its way from Punjab to a gurudwara at Manikaran, skidded and plunged into the river.