Body of Jammu & Kashmir Resident Recovered from Debris in Kullu

The body of Gulzar Ahmed Lone, a resident of Ganderbal district in Jammu & Kashmir, was recovered today from beneath debris in Kullu town’s Bheetri Akhara Bazaar. The landslide in this area occurred on 4 September.

This recovery comes after the bodies of eight others, who lost their lives in two separate landslides on 2 and 4 September in the same locality, were retrieved. The first landslide, which struck late on 2 September, destroyed two rooms of a house owned by Neelkanth Sood and severely damaged nearby structures. Two people were trapped in the rubble that night, and their bodies were recovered four days later.

On the morning of 4 September, another landslide hit Bheetri Akhara Bazaar, burying six more people. One person was declared dead on the spot, while three others sustained injuries, one of whom was referred to AIIMS Bilaspur for advanced medical care.

A rescue operation, led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the police, and the district disaster management teams, was launched immediately. Despite continuous rainfall, unstable terrain, and the ongoing threat of further landslides, the teams worked tirelessly around the clock in search of survivors.

Authorities confirmed that the landslides were triggered by relentless rainfall that saturated the hillsides, making them dangerously unstable. However, for many residents of Kullu, this tragedy is not merely a natural disaster—it is one they believe could have been prevented. Locals have long raised concerns about unregulated construction, inadequate drainage systems, and the absence of early warning infrastructure in vulnerable areas, particularly in the Math region.