9 killed as landslide destroys temple in northern India

NEW DELHI – At least nine people were killed inside a Himalayan temple that collapsed Monday after heavy rains set off landslides and flash floods, the latest in a series of disasters this monsoon season that have brought death and ruin to many parts of South Asia.

Rescue workers were struggling to pull bodies from the mud surrounding the temple, which was hit by a landslide in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh.

Hira Lal Ghezta, an official at the site of the landslide, said those inside the Hindu temple when it collapsed included worshippers, priests and construction workers. He said that about 250 personnel from the Indian army, police and disaster force were leading rescue operations.

“We fear at least 25 people are trapped under the debris, and we have already retrieved six bodies,” he said.

So far, at least 18 people have been killed in landslides and other weather-related events in recent days in Himachal Pradesh, with dozens still missing, officials said. Throughout the state, several building collapses killed nine others, including a mother and child.

This year, the monsoon season, when South Asia receives most of its annual rainfall, has left behind a trail of deadly wreckage from Indian states straddling the Himalayas to countries including Bangladesh and Nepal.

Scientists say that while climate change is causing more intense and erratic seasonal rainfall, extreme heat is melting glaciers in the Himalayas, which has brought deadly flash floods to parts of South Asia in recent years.

In India, the heavy rainfall and flash floods have killed hundreds and destroyed millions of dollars’ worth of property.

So far this season, the hardest-hit area has been Himachal Pradesh, where, as of Saturday at least 257 people have died because of landslides and flash floods.

The Indian Meteorological Department said Monday that parts of Himachal Pradesh had received as much as 10.75 inches of rain in 24 hours. On Monday, authorities once again shut down schools, and many people in harm’s way were being relocated to shelters.

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, said around 20 to 25 people were still trapped under the debris of the landslide at the temple, and that he was getting reports of landslides ravaging different parts of his state.

“From the last 48 hours, many people have died, and I appeal to people to stay indoors and not to venture out,” Sukhu said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.