Mandi (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 3 (ANI): The Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are continuing the search and rescue operations after a landslide hit Sundernagar in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district.

The rescue teams have pulled out three dead bodies, while a search operation is underway for the three missing people after two houses were buried under the debris amid the landslide, Mandi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Apoorv Devgan said.

Mandi DC told ANI, 'A landslide occurred late in the evening in Sundernagar, and two houses fell prey to it. In one house, there were four people, out of which two- one woman and one child were pulled out. They were taken to the hospital but could not survive. In the second house, one body has been recovered.'

He added that they are searching for two missing people who were stuck in one of the landslide-affected houses and one person who was in a car during the landslide.

'We are trying to recover two missing people from the first house. All teams are deployed and are working. Another person who was in his car also came in contact with the landslide, and efforts are on to look for him also,' he said.

According to locals, the landslide occurred around 6 pm on Tuesday. A team of NDRF and the Mandi administration rushed to the spot.

Earlier, Sundernagar MLA Rakesh Jamwal told ANI, 'There were five people in the two houses. Three bodies have been pulled out so far. Two people are still trapped in the debris.'

He added that an SUV was also passing through that spot at the time of the incident and has gone missing along with its driver. 'The vehicle owner's phone is switched off,' he added.

More details are awaited. (ANI)