Swarghat, August 28
A cloudburst in Dhar Kansi near here played havoc in the wee hours today. It triggered a big landslide a km from here on National Highway-21, washing away five vehicles and killing three persons.
Hundred of passengers were stranded on the national highway-21 till 11.30 am when the PWD cleared the blockade. The traffic was diverted from
Kiratpur as the movement of vehicles came to standstill due to landslides at three other places 5 km from Mandi on the Mandi-Kulu highway stretch and at points between the Bilaspur and Swarghat.
Those killed in the landside after their vehicle was washed away along the debris of the landslide have been identified as Jagjit Singh, Iqbal Singh, and Makhan Singh, all from Kulari in Nalagarh Solan district.
They were passing through the Dhar Kansi on the highway when the landside debris turned into a surging nullah and washed down the vehicle they were travelling in from Barmana to Nalagarh.
The police said four other vehicles parked nearby were washed away a few feet down the highway, but no was in the vehicles.
Head Constable Keshav Chand, who led the searching operation and one truck was reported
missing along with its driver and conductor, said they could trace three bodies from the debris so far. The operation was suspended due to darkness as the debris has caused a trail down in the
jungle. Mr S. Sharma, executive engineer, NH-21 said the blockades had been removed and the highway opened to traffic at all three points.
