SHIMLA: The death toll from a landslide that struck a private bus in India’s mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh has climbed to 15, with one child still missing, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.

Two children were injured in the Tuesday evening incident, according to National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Assistant Commandant Karam Singh.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri took to X to provide details, stating, “In this horrific mishap, 15 people lost their lives, including 9 men, 4 women, and 2 children. Two children were injured, and the search for one continues.”

Visuals from ANI showed the bus’s wreckage scattered across a mountain road as rescue teams dug through debris to reach the 18 people buried by the landslide.

Television footage depicted workers using heavy machinery to clear earth and sifting through mud-soaked belongings.

Senior police officer Sandeep Dhawal told ANI that “the major cause of this incident is the rain that has been happening for the last two days in the region.”

Heavy rainfall has caused widespread flooding and landslides across India’s Himalayan region this week.

In neighboring areas, at least 23 people were killed in Darjeeling district of West Bengal until Monday, as floods and landslides swept away homes and roads.

Rescue teams are continuing operations to locate the missing child and provide aid to the injured.

The disaster highlights the increasing vulnerability of Himalayan regions to heavy rainfall and landslides during the monsoon season.