WATCH: Several buildings collapse after massive landslide in Himachal's Kullu

Several buildings in Anni town of Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district came down like a pack of cards after a massive landslide due to incessant rains in the region. However, there were no casualties, said an official.

The buildings housing shops, banks and other commercial establishments had developed cracks four-five days ago, Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Anni, Naresh Verma, who was at the spot, said.

The buildings were declared unsafe and vacated recently, he said.

The assessment of damage is being done and some other unsafe buildings along the National Highway305 in Anni have also been vacated as a precautionary measure, the official added.

Confirming the news on X, formerly known as Twitter, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the administration had identified the risk and successfully evacuated the building two days ago.

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"Disturbing visuals emerge from Anni, Kullu, depicting a massive commercial building collapsing amidst a devastating landslide," said the Chief Minister.

While the Chief Minister seemed to suggest that only a commercial building was damaged, the visuals showed three-four multi-storeyed buildings collapsing one after the other, leaving behind a massive trail of dust.

Emergency response teams, such as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), have been deployed to rescue those who are feared trapped in the landslide, an NDTV report had reported earlier.

Early today, hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the damaged Kullu-Mandi Highway after heavy rainfall in the district.

"The road connecting Kullu and Mandi has been damaged. An alternative route via Pandoh has also been damaged. Hence, the movement of traffic is suspended for now," senior Kullu police officer Sakshi Verma said.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert, warning of imminent heavy to very heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh for the next two days starting today.

With inputs from agencies