‘This hill was never ...’: What caused Himachal landslide that buried a moving bus, killing 18 in Bilaspur

At least 18 people died after a massive landslide hit a moving private bus in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district on Tuesday. Several passengers are feared trapped under the debris.

The incident took place near the Bhalughat area in the Jhandutta assembly segment when the bus was on its way from Haryana’s Rohtak to Ghumarwin.

What led to the Bilaspur landslide?

According to officials, the landslide occurred following continuous heavy rain since Monday, which loosened the soil and caused a large portion of the hill to collapse.

The bus, operated by Santoshi Bus Service, was carrying between 30 to 35 passengers at the time. The sudden slide buried the vehicle under tons of mud and rocks, leaving rescuers struggling to reach the trapped passengers.

“This particular hill was never considered a landslide-prone area. Only minor stone shooting incidents had been reported here before. But the heavy rainfall today loosened the strata, leading to the collapse of the entire hilltop onto the moving bus,” Bilaspur Superintendent of Police Sandeep Dhawal was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

He added that rescue operations are continuing, with teams working round the clock to search for others possibly trapped under debris.

Massive rescue efforts underway

Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, and the district administration have been deployed to the site. Rescue work has been slowed by slippery terrain and heavy mud, though rainfall has now stopped. “The whole mountain came crashing down on the bus,” one police official said undertaking the rescue operations said.

What NDRF Assistant Commandant told media

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh | On Bilaspur bus caught in a landslide, Assistant Commandant, NDRF, Karam Singh says, "...The incident occurred around 6.50 pm. About 18 people were travelling in the bus...15 bodies have already been recovered, 2 live victims may be retrieved and as… pic.twitter.com/A71CeCDKdV

— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed his sorrow over the tragedy, announcing ex gratia compensation of Rs 1 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

“Saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” a PMO statement said.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also shared his condolences and directed officials to speed up rescue efforts. “All necessary assistance is being provided. We are ensuring that rescue and relief operations continue without interruption,” he said.