Landslide crashes down, blocks tunnel entrance in northern India
by Aditi VermaIn a harrowing incident in northern India’s Himachal Pradesh, a landslide sent debris crashing down, sealing the entrance of an under-construction tunnel.
The incident took place in the Chalaunthi area of Shimla city on August 12.
Visuals showed machinery and workers near the tunnel as rocks and debris suddenly fell, blocking the tunnel’s entrance. The workers on site appeared shocked and confused as the debris and rocks rapidly descended, sealing off the tunnel’s entry.
According to reports, the situation at the site was chaotic, but fortunately, there was no loss of life or property. A four-lane road is being constructed from Parwanoo to Shimla, with work progressing rapidly from Kaithlighat to Dhalli. The landslide occurred on Tuesday morning.
Reportedly, workers and machinery had already been evacuated after boulders and mud began to fall on Monday evening. Later, heavy debris fell from above, completely blocking the tunnel’s entrance. It is believed that the National Highway Authority was working to stabilize the hill, with the excavation of a 400-meter-long tunnel underway. However, the excavation caused a large section of the hill to collapse, closing off the tunnel’s entrance. Currently, the national highway near the landslide at Dhalli junction is at risk, with stones continuing to fall.
The four-lane tunnel, located about 700 meters below the Dhingu Mata temple from Sanjauli, is intended to connect with the tunnel under construction in Chalonthi, linking the bypass road and Dhalli-Kaithlighat road to the four-lane highway. Work on this section began two months ago as part of the final phase of the Kalka-Shimla National Highway project.