Death toll in Himachal highway landslide goes up to 23

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The death toll in the Himachal Pradesh highway landslide in Kinnaur district has risen to 23 with the recovery of six more bodies on Saturday.  Another nine persons are still buried under the heap of rocks and mud as rescue work continues. The relatives of the victims are still camping at the site.</p>
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A team of engineers will survey the hilltop to suggest remedies to stop the shooting of stones, which is affecting the rescue work.</p>
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On Friday, two passengers of a Himachal Roadways bus were injured when the shooting stones hit the bus on the same stretch where the landslide had occurred.</p>
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On August 11 a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus, a truck and three cars were buried under huge rocks and mud following a major landslide. The bus was on its way from Reckong Peo in Kinnaur to Haridwar in Uttarakhand.</p>
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According to State Disaster Management director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta, so far 23 bodies have been recovered, while nine people are still feared missing. Two people have sustained severe injuries, he said.</p>
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Several incidents of landslides and flash floods have been reported across the State in recent days as torrential rains have lashed the region. Between June 13 and August 12 as many as 253 people have lost their lives in various rain related incidents. The highest number of casualties was reported from Shimla (38), followed by Kinnaur (30) and Kangra and Sirmaur (26 each).</p>
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Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who recently visited the incident site to oversee the relief and rescue work, had said the government would also conduct a geological survey of the area to find a long term solution to prevent such incidents.</p>