Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday spoke to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and assured him of all possible help following a tragic bus accident in Kinnaur due to a landslide.

He also spoke to the DG of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and asked to help in the relief and rescue operations.

Taking to Twitter, he said, “Spoke to the Chief Minister @jairamthakurbjp and DG ITBP. @ITBP_official Teams are engaged in relief and rescue work with full readiness. It is the priority of ITBP and local administration to save lives and provide prompt treatment to the injured.”

हिमाचल के किन्नौर में भूस्खलन से हुए हादसे के संबंध में मैंने मुख्यमंत्री @jairamthakurbjp जी व DG ITBP से बात की है।@ITBP_official की टीमें राहत व बचाव कार्य में पूरी तत्परता से लगी हैं। लोगों की जान बचाना व घायलों को शीघ्र उपचार देना ITBP व स्थानीय प्रशासन की प्राथमिकता है।

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 11, 2021

According to the ITBP officials here, 4 persons have been rescued by Force teams from the landslide so far. Troopers from 43rd Battalion, 17th Battalion and 19th Battalion have been deployed near the landslide site on Reckong Peo-Shimla Highway near Nugulsari in the Kinnaur district. They also said that the continuous shooting stones and rubble on the two sides of the approach route stopped the movement of the rescue teams but efforts are on to rescue them.

“A landslide was reported on the Reckong Peo- Shimla Highway in Kinnaur District in Himachal Pradesh today at around 12.45 hrs. One truck and an HRTC Bus reportedly came under the rubble. Many people reported being trapped. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) teams rushed for rescue”, the ITBP said in a tweet message.

Several vehicles, including a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus carrying over 40 passengers have been reportedly buried under the debris. The bus was on its way from Reckong Peo in Kinnaur to Shimla.

On July 25, nine tourists were killed after huge boulders fell on their vehicle near Basteri in the Kinnaur district. Multiple landslides triggered by incessant rains occurred near Basteri on the Sangla-Chitkul, resulting in a bridge collapse and damage to some vehicles too.