A multi-storey building collapsed and cracks appeared in other residential structures in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, on Monday. The locals blamed the damage on the excavation and rock-cutting undertaken for a four-lane highway project.

The house at Sanjay Van Colony in the Chamyana gram panchayat collapsed around 8 am. The house belonged to Ranjana Verma, 48, who vacated it the previous night.

A viral video shows the building collapsing like a pack of cards. Later, Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh visited the site and assured the affected families of all possible assistance.

Three houses were vacated as a precautionary measure.

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A grieving Ranjana Verma told The Indian Express, “Minor cracks had been appearing in our house for about a month, but they deepened over the past three days with the onset of monsoon rain. We had complained to the NHAI, which had hired a private company for the highway construction, about how the unscientific cutting of rocks and insertion of massive iron rods into already fragile hills were weakening the slope. But nothing was done. The strong vibrations caused by the cutting and insertion of 15-20-m-long iron rods shook the entire hillside.”

The four-lane road between Kaithlighat and Dhalli is part of the Kalka-Shimla National Highway 5.

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Verma, a widow, added, “My husband, the late Rajesh Verma, was an SDO-rank officer in Shimla. We had invested all our savings into building this house. Last night, I didn’t even have time to collect my belongings—let alone the furniture—before the collapse. I lost everything, including jewellery, cash, and other valuables.”

Verma has two daughters who are studying in Mumbai.

The collapsed building had a parking area on the ground floor, three upper floors, and an attic.

When contacted, Neeraj Chahal, liaison officer of Gawar Construction Limited—the company contracted by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)—said, “We have been working according to the plan approved by NHAI. This was part of slope protection work involving iron mesh netting, standard drilling, and anchoring on the hillside where the houses were located. There may have been an invisible crack in the hill that loosened during the heavy rainfall over the past three days. Even the iron mesh and rods inserted into the hillside were destroyed in the landslide.”

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Several other buildings in Shimla are also at risk owing to landslides. In New Shimla, cracks have appeared in the electricity board’s office. A building in Krishna Nagar is also similarly endangered.

Across multiple wards, landslides are threatening the structural integrity of homes. Officials reported that a landslide hit the Housing Board Colony in Mehli early on Monday. The retaining wall of two government quarters has completely sunk. Locals allege that construction activity on a private plot downhill destabilised the area during the rain. Tarpaulins have been placed temporarily, but the buildings remain at risk.

Other damage

A cloudburst was reported late on Sunday night in Sikaseri village under Sarpara gram panchayat in the Rampur subdivision. The incident caused significant damage, including the collapse of one house and at least three cow sheds. Two cows and two calves were washed away.

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Officials said the seasonal rivulet where the cloudburst occurred feeds into Samej Khad, which saw extensive devastation during last year’s monsoon. Samej Khad further joins the Satluj river.

Separately, a car accident occurred about 4 km ahead of Jalog in the Jalog subdivision. Of the three people in the vehicle, two were confirmed dead while one remained missing at the time of reporting. Officials stated that search operations were underway to trace the missing person.