The tragedy of the collapsed Shiv Bawari temple in the Summer Hill area of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, has brought anguish and uncertainty to families awaiting news of their missing loved ones. Heavy rain triggered a landslide on Monday morning, burying devotees under debris. As search and rescue teams work to uncover bodies, families like Karandeep Sharma's are gathered at the site, hoping for the best while fearing the worst.
Karandeep Sharma, along with many others, has joined the search efforts at the site of the collapsed temple. When rescue teams make discoveries, such as bodies or fragments, families gather at a designated area, hoping to identify their missing relatives. For Karandeep and his fellow searchers, this is a heartbreaking and tense moment of uncertainty, as they wish that the uncovered remains do not belong to their loved ones.
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Karandeep shared his own story of tragedy. His uncle, Pawan Sharma, along with his entire family, were present at the temple when the disaster struck. Pawan Sharma, 60, his wife Santosh Sharma, 57, son Aman Sharma, 32, daughter-in-law Archna Sharma, 27, and three granddaughters, aged between 12 and 1.5 years, were at the temple when the landslide occurred. Santosh Sharma, Aman Sharma, and one of the granddaughters, Seshya, have been confirmed dead. However, Pawan Sharma, Archna Sharma, and two nieces are still missing. Karandeep clings to the hope that they might be safe somewhere amidst the chaos.
Pawan Sharma, who remains missing, is a well-known figure in Summer Hill, where he has run Aman Electricals, a shop in the local market named after his son. The tragedy has struck not only a family but also a community that knows Pawan Sharma for his decades-old presence in the area.
Rescue teams have made grim discoveries, finding 11 bodies so far as they work to clear the wreckage left by the cloudburst-triggered landslide. The temple collapse took place during a morning aarti, and according to local accounts, over 30 people were inside when the disaster struck. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) collaborated with the Army to launch rescue operations within hours of the incident.
The temple collapse is part of a series of rain-related incidents that have plagued Himachal Pradesh in recent days, resulting in more than 50 fatalities. The regions of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, and Hamirpur have been placed under a yellow alert for Tuesday due to ongoing weather concerns.
In the midst of personal tragedy, families like Karandeep Sharma's are grappling with uncertainty and grief while the community comes to terms with the broader impact of the rain-related calamities.
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