As efforts to retrieve the bodies of those buried alive in the Shiv temple collapse at Summerhill, Shimla in Himachal Pradesh on 14 August, one more body was excavated from the nallah about 800 meters below on Friday.

The death toll in the tragic incident has mounted to 16, and over half a dozen are still feared to be missing on day fifth.

As chances are almost bleak to find any survivors, the relatives of the missing persons are waiting endlessly to ensure that they pay their last respects to their loved ones.

Summerhill Councilor, Shimla Municipal Corporation, Virender Thakur said: “One of the deceased has been identified as Shankar Negi, a retired banker, who hails Brua village from Kinnaur district by his relatives. His nephew is still missing.”

Another body retrieved is yet to be identified, he added.

Shankar Negi’s relative, Shamsher Singh from Brua in Kinnaur district had travelled around 400 kms on Monday to locate his elder brother (deceased identified) and nephew, when they were untraceable after the temple collapse.

“My elder brother and nephew visited the temple at 6.00 am, the tragedy struck at around 7.15 am. After that they were untraceable,” he lamented.

Shankar Nehi’s nephew Avinash Negi, PTI in a school in Boilugang is still untraceable, as family members pins hope against hope to find him alive.

“His wife is inconsolable, while his two sons two-year-old and four-year-old are time again asking about their father,” said his cousin brother Anil Negi.

The catastrophe wiped out three generations of a family of seven including grandfather, grandmother, father, and mother, and their three children had got trapped under the debris.

So far bodies of five of the family members have been excavated and two including a child are still missing these include Pawan a local resident and his granddaughter.

Himachal police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Army jawans along with the locals, continue to frantically search for more dead bodies day fifth in the nallah around 700 to 800 meters below the temple collapse site.