📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Sillerkiil
Weather
Monsoon rains trigger landslides in Himachal, three mine workers feared trapped
✍️ Punjab Newsline
🗓 19 Aug 2026, 03:05 PM
👁 2
Heavy monsoon showers in Himachal Pradesh have caused landslides that blocked access to a mine in Sirmaur district, leaving three workers feared trapped underground.
Heavy monsoon rains swept across Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, triggering multiple landslides in the Sirmaur district. The slope failure occurred near a local mining operation, collapsing the access road and sealing the entrance to the underground worksite.
Rescue teams from the state disaster management force were dispatched immediately after reports surfaced that three miners were inside the shaft when the slide struck. Officials have not been able to confirm the workers' condition, but fear they may be trapped due to the debris blocking ventilation and egress routes.
The district administration has set up a command centre to coordinate search‑and‑rescue efforts, deploying heavy‑equipment excavators and trained personnel. Families of the workers have been informed, and the area has been declared a temporary no‑entry zone until the landslide is cleared.
Authorities warned that continued monsoon activity could exacerbate the situation, urging residents in vulnerable hill zones to remain vigilant and avoid non‑essential travel.
The incident underscores the growing risk of weather‑related landslides in the Himalayan region, prompting calls for improved early‑warning systems and stricter safety protocols at mining sites.
Rescue teams from the state disaster management force were dispatched immediately after reports surfaced that three miners were inside the shaft when the slide struck. Officials have not been able to confirm the workers' condition, but fear they may be trapped due to the debris blocking ventilation and egress routes.
The district administration has set up a command centre to coordinate search‑and‑rescue efforts, deploying heavy‑equipment excavators and trained personnel. Families of the workers have been informed, and the area has been declared a temporary no‑entry zone until the landslide is cleared.
Authorities warned that continued monsoon activity could exacerbate the situation, urging residents in vulnerable hill zones to remain vigilant and avoid non‑essential travel.
The incident underscores the growing risk of weather‑related landslides in the Himalayan region, prompting calls for improved early‑warning systems and stricter safety protocols at mining sites.