HP rains: Two more bodies recovered from debris of Shiv temple in Shimla, death toll reaches 53

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Shiv temple in Shimla on Tuesday, taking the total number of bodies recovered in the twin landslide sites at Summerhill and Fagli increased to 16, officials said. The death toll in incidents such as landslides, cloudbursts and house collapse due to heavy rains since Sunday night has increased to 53. Officials said that around 10 people are still feared buried under the debris in Shimla's Summerhill and Fagli.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Army along with police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) resumed rescue operations at Summerhill around 6 am, Deputy Commissioner of Shimla Aditya Negi told PTI. The rescue operations were suspended on Monday night following heavy rainfall. A total of 16 bodies have been recovered since Monday, 11 at the Shiv temple and five at Fagli, he said, adding more than 10 people are feared still buried at the Shiv temple site.

The shrine was crowded, with devotees offering prayers on an important day of the holy month of Sawan when the tragedy struck at around 7:15 am. Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh University has suspended teaching activities till August 19 in view of the torrential rains triggering landslides and blocking roads. The University library would also remain closed till August 20.

However teaching and non-teaching staff would attend the university as usual, a notification issued here on Tuesday said. As many as 19 persons died in rain-related incidents in Mandi district on Monday, Deputy Commissioner Arindam Chaudhary had told PTI. Seven members of a family, including a two-year-old child, were killed in a landslide late on Sunday night in Seghli panchayat while six bodies were recovered at Sambhal near Pandoh.