Shimla, Aug. 30 -- The district administration has directed four families to vacate houses and relocate to safer areas after the Chelang hill in Dhamchyan gram panchayat of Mandi's Chohar valley developed fissures late Friday night.

According to officials, on Friday night, villagers in Tikkan were startled by a loud rumbling sound coming from the hill. Upon stepping outside, they witnessed a massive landslide in progress. Panic gripped the families living at the base of the hill and as a precaution, they moved to safer locations and spent the night awake.

On Saturday morning, SDM Padhar, Surjit Singh Thakur, visited the site to assess the situation. The SDM said that a massive landslide had occurred on Chelang hill. He said that a large...