In Shimla temple that collapsed, 7 of family were carrying out a havan

While bodies of four of the family members have been found, those of Pawan Sharma, Archna Sharma and a 5-year-old are still missing with rescuers of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) saying chances of survival look increasingly slim.

On Monday, Shimla witnessed landslides at two places — the Shiv Bawadi temple in Summer Hill and Fagli. Five people were killed in the Fagli landslide.

At the site of the temple tragedy, among more than two dozen people frantically looking for signs of their loved ones is Pawan Sharma’s nephew Karandeep Sharma, an IT professional working in Chandigarh.

Ramesh Sharma, brother of Dr P L Sharma, the director of UIET, Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla. (Express photo by Saurabh Parashar)

“My uncle had gone with his entire family for the havan. Two of their tenants had accompanied them. Now they are all gone,” says Karandeep.

The bodies of Pawan Sharma’s tenants — Mansi Harish, who taught mathematics at Himachal Pradesh University in Shimla, and her husband Harish Kumar, an advocate — were among those recovered on Tuesday.

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Heavy rains have caused widespread devastation in Himachal Pradesh, leading to the tragic loss of nearly 50 lives in various incidents since Sunday night. (PTI Photo)

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In Shimla, two landslides claimed the lives of 12 people. While a Shiva temple collapsed in Summer Hill area, a landslide took place in Fagli area. (PTI Photo)

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Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu visited Jadon village in Solan district to assess the situation and met those affected by the cloudbursts. (PTI Photo)

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Ongoing rescue operations are aimed at saving those trapped under the rubble, with approximately 20-25 people feared to be under debris. (PTI Photo)

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The state's meteorological department had previously issued a yellow alert for Sunday and Monday, forecasting rain until August 19. (PTI Photo)

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The continuous rainfall, lasting around 55 hours, led to flooding, landslides, and falling trees, causing significant damage to homes and infrastructure in multiple districts including Mandi, Sirmaur, Shimla, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, and Solan. (PTI Photo)

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The disaster has also impacted the region's utilities, with reports of at least 4,697 distribution transformers damaged and 902 water supply schemes affected. (PTI Photo)

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Many houses are currently without essential services due to the extensive damage caused by the rains. Combo photo showing an undated photo of the Lord Shiva temple near Summer Hill of Shimla before (left) and after a massive landslide today. (PTI Photo)

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Himachal CM urged both residents and tourists to steer clear of landslide-prone areas to ensure their safety. (PTI Photo)

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Educational institutions have been shut and postgraduate and BEd examinations have also been cancelled. (PTI Photo)

At the Sharmas’ house in Summer Hill, Pawan Sharma’s elder sister Sudesh Sharma said, “Pawan was a staunch devotee of the Shiv temple. He would go there almost every day, especially during the sawan month. Yesterday, he had a havan in the temple for which he took his entire family. Our tenants went along too. They were almost family,” said Sudesh Sharma, who is from Una.

Rescue teams of the SDRF and the Army, which started work within hours of the disaster, have found 12 bodies so far.

SDRF SP (Shimla), Ilma Afroz, said, “The rescue work will continue until finding the last person. Today, we have increased our workforce.”

Locals said the accident took place when an aarti was going on and more than 30 people were inside.

Among the 12 dead are P L Sharma, 59, who taught mathematics at HPU, his wife, Rekha Sharma, 54, and younger son, Ish Sharma, 25, a PhD scholar. Sharma’s elder son Arun Sharma, an Assistant Professor at Jammu University, said, “My father had organised a puja at the temple yesterday for which my brother flew in from Mumbai. They have found my mother’s body; the search is still for my father and brother.” He is accompanied by his uncle Ramesh Sharma, 55, the headmaster of a government senior secondary school in Bilaspur.

Meanwhile, fresh landslides were reported near Lalpani area in Shimla on Tuesday evening. Four houses and a slaughterhouse have been damaged with two people reported to be trapped in one of the houses.

The temple collapse was among the several rain-related accidents in Himachal Pradesh over the last two days, in which more than 50 people have been killed. A yellow alert has been issued in Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur and Hamirpur for Tuesday.