A man from Punjab, who worked at a chicken factory in Shimla as a manager, lost his life in a landslide on August 15, his wife said Saturday. According to information, while he had initially managed to evacuate the factory on time, he had rushed back to save a young colleague trapped inside when the building collapsed. The man, identified as Naveen Bhalla (45), was a resident of Maqsudpur village near Soondh in the Nawanshahr district of Punjab. His wife, Nisha Rani, said that the factory workers reached out to their son and informed about the incident. Bhalla’s son in turn urged his maternal uncle to rush to Shimla. Rani added, “According to the factory people, as the landslide began, everyone inside the factory managed to evacuate, including Naveen. However, upon realising that a 20-year-old worker from Nepal was still trapped inside, he entered the factory once again to rescue him. As Naveen went inside, the building collapsed, burying the factory under tonnes of debris.” She further said, "He had spoken to me just half an hour before the incident and had informed me about the worsening situation in Shimla. I urged him to come back but he explained that the roads are closed and returning is difficult at the moment." Nisha further explained that due to the heavy rains over the past two months, Bhalla was unable to come home. “He had promised to return once the roads cleared,” Rani said. Survived by his wife, mother, a 20-year-old son and a 24-year-old daughter, Naveen had taken significant loans to support his children's education abroad. "My daughter pursued nursing and my son completed his 10+2. He worked tirelessly and honestly to send them to Australia and Italy, respectively, given the limited job opportunities here," Rani said. Naveen, who had tried various jobs in his hometown, including selling vegetables, had eventually moved to Shimla when he couldn't secure a stable job to support his family. Remembering Bhalla, the former sarpanch of his native village, Rajwinder Singh, said, "He was hardworking, educated and an honest man. He had called to inform me about a landslide near a Shiv Mandir (Shiv Bawari temple) in Shimla." Singh emphasised that Bhalla was the primary breadwinner of the family and urged the Punjab government to provide financial assistance to the family. Bhalla’s body was brought back on Thursday and subsequently cremated. A relative said his children could not attend the last rites of their father due to their recent departure from the native village.
