3 injured as boulder hits HRTC bus

Kullu: Three passengers suffered minor injuries when a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus they were travelling in was hit by a boulder at 9 Mile near Pandoh in Mandi district late Saturday evening.
The incident happened around 11.30 pm when the bus was on its way from Manali to Shimla. The boulder hit the front portion of the bus opposite the driver’s seat.
A Mandi district administration official said the injured passengers were taken to the nearby hospital and discharged after first aid.
The entire Pandoh area, including 9 Mile, is a high landslide-pro zone that witnesses frequent landslides, especially during the rainy season. This is the second such incident in two days.
Two persons had died and four others were injured on Saturday when the car they were travelling in was hit by boulders in the Churah area of Chamba district.
Meanwhile, the weather department has predicted heavy rainfall in the state even as its forecast has mostly remained off the mark so far.
According to the Meteorological Centre, Shimla, monsoon activity is likely to increase in intensity and distribution during the next two-three days with fairly widespread precipitation.