The North News
Shimla, November 22
A major accident was narrowly averted in Shimla’s Bhatta Kufar area on Saturday after a section of the road suddenly caved in, creating a large crater that trapped an HRTC bus and a schoolgirl who was boarding it. The girl, a student of Class 8 on her way to school, slipped into the pit as the ground gave way. She was rescued safely with the help of ropes, officials said.
The incident sparked anger among local residents, who blamed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for what they allege is damage caused by ongoing tunnelling work in the area. Residents said years-old road structures have weakened due to these activities.
Nirender Thakur, the municipal councillor from Bhatta Kufar, alleged that the road collapse was the result of NHAI’s tunnelling operations. He demanded action against the agency and accused its officials of high-handedness. Thakur also claimed that an earlier incident—where a woman’s house collapsed—had been linked to NHAI’s work, with compensation of ₹5 crore promised but still unpaid. He warned that the poor quality of work in the area could lead to more serious incidents, given the dense population living nearby.
