At least 15 persons were killed and several others were feared trapped after a private bus was struck by boulders and debris following a major landslide in the Bhalughat area of Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district on Tuesday evening, The Hindu reported.

The casualties could rise as rescue operations were still under way. Three children have been rescued and are being treated at a hospital in Barthin village.

The vehicle, belonging to a private operator, was a 32-seater and was on its way from Marotan to Ghumarwin.

There were around 30 passengers on the bus when the accident took place, The Hindu quoted Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu as saying.

Bilaspur Superintendent of Police Sandeep Dhawal told The Indian Express that the site where the landslide occurred was not among the landslide-prone areas in the district.

“Rare incidents of stone shooting have been reported here in the past, but this hill has no history of any major landslides,” Dhawal said. “The excessive rainfall today loosened the strata, causing the entire hilltop to collapse onto the moving bus.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of those who died, and Rs 50,000 for those injured.

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