Shimla, Aug. 19 -- Three labourers were killed after a massive landslide hit a mining site near Kaffota in the Shillai tehsil of Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district on Tuesday evening, officials said. Relentless rainfall across the state triggered severe landslides and caused local nullahs to swell, disrupting normal life. The three victims were traveling in a truck when heavy boulders and mudslides came crashing down, burying the vehicle. While emergency teams rushed to the spot, continuous debris fall severely hindered the rescue operation, preventing responders from reaching the occupants trapped inside. Sirmaur deputy commissioner Priyanka Verma said, "Three persons - two hailing from Nepal and one local resident have been killed in the landslide. The rescue teams are on the spot. The slide was continuous." Meanwhile, a tragedy was averted at the Matar School in the Nahan assembly constituency on Tuesday. Heavy downpours left 52 students and 12 staff members stranded for nearly three hours inside the flooded school premises. Local authorities successfully evacuated all 64 individuals to safety. The DC said, "Everyone was rescued safely. We had received a call around 3.30pm following which the rescue team was sent. After two hours, all those stranded were rescued and children were dropped home safely." Heavy rainfall in Gauri Nala in Lahaul's Chokhang area on Tuesday morning blocked the Chokhang-Naingahar road, washing away a stretch of approximately 250 metres. Authorities also suspended movement on the Shimla-Kalka heritage railway line following a landslide at Koti, near Jabli, in the Solan district. Heavy rains also caused waterlogging near the Taksal crossing on Old Kasauli Road, disrupting vehicular traffic. Vehicle movement was also disrupted on the Shimla-Kalka national highway connecting Chandigarh and Delhi with Shimla, as a large amount of debris and water came onto the road, slowing traffic. The district administration instructed the four-lane construction company to ensure the smooth operation of NH-5, and police personnel have been deployed to the area, officials said. Heavy rains also created flood-like conditions on the roads in Parwanoo, with the impact of the downpour clearly visible on Old Kasauli Road. Reports indicate that several vehicles are stranded near the Mint (Taksal) gate due to the strong flow of water. A landslide near the municipal corporation (MC) parking area in Tutu, Shimla, has restricted traffic on the route to small vehicles only. Police personnel are deployed at the site, and the concerned department is working to restore normal traffic flow. The administration requested commuters to exercise caution while using this route, adhere to speed limits, and cooperate with police instructions. Heavy rains also led to the uprooting of trees, bringing traffic to a halt. In the Tutu Chowk suburb of Shimla, rainwater flowing from the intersection triggered a landslide, sending debris towards the residential area. A shed and a toilet were damaged by the landslide, while nearby buildings are now at risk. The residents blamed a lack of an adequate drainage system and demanded a permanent solution from the administration. Balbir Kaur, whose shed and toilet were buried under the debris, said that all the runoff water from Tutu Chowk is flowing towards her home. She alleged that while she had requested the construction of proper drains during the road-building process, the matter was ignored. Kaur said that both her house and a nearby tree are at risk. She urged the administration to fix the drainage system and repair the drains to prevent such a situation from recurring in the future. Public works department (PWD) minister Vikramaditya Singh on Tuesday said that the government was continuously monitoring the monsoon situation and had directed officials to immediately restore road connectivity wherever roads were blocked. He acknowledged that some road stretches are sinking and bridge portions are being washed away. "The PWD has deployed around 535 machines across the state for restoration and maintenance work," Singh said. He said the government was particularly focused on maintaining connectivity in rural and apple-growing areas as the apple season had begun. "Our effort is to ensure that there is no difficulty for people, particularly farmers in remote areas, and that their produce reaches the markets on time," the minister said....