NEW DELHI, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Landslides and other incidents triggered by flash-floods have claimed around 18 lives in India's northern hilly state of Himachal Pradesh over the past two days, said media reports on Sunday.
A total of eight persons have died in state capital Shimla, including three members of a family. Two girls aged 18 and 15 years and their father died in a landslide triggered by flash floods, reported the English daily "Hindustan Times."
Continuous rains have lashed the hilly state, rendering heavy damages to roads, buildings and water supply schemes.
In another incident in Shimla, a laborer was killed and six others were injured when a wall collapsed, breaking into the room where the laborers were sleeping.
A 70-year-old man and his 8-year-old grand-daughter were killed when a wall of their house collapsed.
A driver was killed near Hatkoti in Shimla district when his canter was hit by a landslide. In a similar accident at Swarghat in Bilaspur district of the state, a driver was killed after being buried under a landslide.
In another incident, one person was killed when a wall collapsed on him at Baddi in Solan district. Two labourers died near Narkanda area while five people sustained serious injuries when a tree fell on their makeshift house.
A 22-year-old tourist from southern state of Telangana was killed after being hit by a boulder. He was returning from a trek to Khir-Ganga in Kullu district.
In Jibhi area of the district, a man was swept away in a swollen rivulet and is feared dead.
According to media reports, more than 400 roads, including 13 highways across the state are blocked fully or partially due to landslides.
