Himachal :At least nine tourists were killed and three others were injured in multiple landslides that took place on Sunday in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district. The tourists were travelling in a vehicle on which heavy boulders fell killing nine of 11 tourists, reports said. Indo-Tibetan Border Police teams have been pressed to rescue work, ANI reported.Prime Minister's office offered condolence over the deaths of the tourists in the landslide. "An ex gratia of ₹2 lakh each from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in an accident in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh. Rs. 50,000 would be given to the injured," the PMO said.

Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur expressed grief over the incident and said the relief work has already started. "I spoke to Kinnaur district administration and enquired about the incident and gave them proper guidelines. The administration has started reief work. The affected are being attended to immediately," the CM wrote.

Terrifying footage of boulders coming down from the top of the mountain emerged on social media. As the boulders came down Batseri bridge in the Sangla valley of Kinnaur collapsed, the video shows.Reports said the travellers, some from Delhi, were on their way to Chitkul, which is a popular tourist spot in Himachal Pradesh. Superintendent of police, Kinnaur district, Saju Ram Rana said a rescue operation is going on.Reports said the incident took place at around 2.15pm and as evident from the footage, locals who were recording the rockslides raised an alarm after the boulders started coming down from the top of the mountain. First, a massive splash in the Baspariver and then the bridge on the river caved in.On Saturday, Himachal Pradesh director general of police Sanjay Kundu issued a warning on his Twitter account asking people to not venture too close to water bodies. "Himachal Pradesh is blessed with natural beauty which attracts people to rivers, rivulets, lakes and ponds," he wrote adding 156 persons lost their lives due to drowning in the 13-month period between January 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021.

The incident comes weeks after Himachal Pradesh witnessed a flash floods in which at least three were killed and severeal got stranded.