A major landslide struck Uttarakhand’s Haridwar on Monday after a large portion of the Mansa Devi hill near the Bhimgoda railway tunnel and Kali Mata temple collapsed, forcing a complete halt of train services on the busy Dehradun–Haridwar route.
The hill gave way suddenly near the Kali temple, sending massive debris of soil and rocks crashing down at high speed and burying the railway tracks close to the Bhimgoda tunnel.
Impact
The impact of the landslide was so intense that it badly damaged the iron safety net installed to protect the railway tracks. Train services were immediately suspended, leading to chaos in the area as officials rushed to the site. Local authorities promptly began debris clearance to restore normalcy.
This incident comes less than a month after a similar landslide struck the same religious belt, raising concerns over safety measures in the region and the recurring nature of such disasters.
Earlier Incident
On August 5, a massive portion of the hill broke off, crashing onto the busy Har Ki Pauri–Bhimgoda road and railway tracks.
Dramatic CCTV footage from that incident showed rocks striking a motorcycle, narrowly missing three men who escaped with minor injuries.
Torrential rains had been cited as the reason for the hill’s destabilisation.
The Mansa Devi hill area is considered highly vulnerable to seasonal landslides, particularly during the monsoon.
Despite the installation of steel guards and protective nets in 2024 to safeguard key road and rail infrastructure, the region continues to remain exposed to extreme weather events.
Uttarakhand continues to reel under the impact of incessant rainfall, leading to major disasters that have wreaked havoc in the Himalayan states in recent days.
(With IANS inputs)