Two killed as boulders fall on Shimla hutment

SHIMLA - Two labourers were killed and three were injured when boulders and debris fell on their temporary hutment in this Himachal Pradesh capital Sunday, police said.

Superintendent of Police R.M. Sharma told IANS that five labourers were sleeping when a mound of boulders and debris from the hill atop their hutment got dislodged due to heavy rain and struck their home. Two died immediately while three escaped with minor injuries.

“All the victims belonged to a village in Sirmaur district,” Sharma said.

The government announced compensation of Rs.10,000 each to the kin of the dead.

In a separate incident, more than 20 people narrowly escaped when trees fell on their houses in the town due to the heavy rains.

According to the Met office here, Shimla experienced 72.3 mm of rain Sunday.