Eight buildings destroyed in massive landslide in India

By Isaac M August 24, 2023

A severe landslide in northern India has destroyed several buildings. 

Video from the state of Himachal Pradesh shows buildings collapsing during a massive mudslide.

It’s the latest in a series of disasters to hit the Himalayan region, which have killed hundreds of people this month.

Elsewhere in the region, 12 people were killed on Wednesday.

India’s national disaster response force is investigating the collapsed building site in the Kullu region, but there are thought to be no casualties.

Many parts of the province have been on high alert for heavy rainfall, leading authorities to move residents out of the area after it was deemed unsafe.

“The administration had identified the risk and successfully evacuated the building two days prior,” the state’s chief minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, said.

A total of eight buildings were completely levelled, and another two were partially damaged.

Unusually heavy monsoon rain, cloudbursts and melting glaciers have brought deadly flash floods to the mountains of India.

Rescuers remove mud and debris as they search for people feared trapped after a landslide near a temple on the outskirts of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh state, Monday, Aug.14, 2023. Heavy monsoon rains triggered floods and landslides in India's Himalayan region, leaving more than a dozen people dead and many others trapped, officials said Monday. (AP Photo/ Pradeep Kumar)
Image:
Rescuers remove mud and debris after a landslide near a temple on the outskirts of Shimla on 14 August. Pic: AP

More than 250 people have died and at least 40 are missing in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh alone, which authorities say has cost the state almost £1bn ($1.2bn).

Disasters caused by landslides and floods are common during the June-September monsoon season in India.

But this year has seen a surplus of almost 60% rainfall in the northwestern states.

In contrast, many central and southern states have seen almost 40% less rain.

Scientists are also warning that flash flooding could become more frequent as global warming contributes to the melting of glaciers.

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A 2022 report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said the mountains in the Himalayan region have lost close to 40% of their ice.

An assessment by the Centre of Science and Environment last year also showed that 314 of the 365 days in 2022 experienced severe weather events affecting at least one region of the country.

Unpredictable weather patterns across India could affect the livelihoods of up to 1.4 billion people involved with agriculture.

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