Shimla, July 12 -- A major landslide struck the Bothwell area near Sanjauli College early on Saturday morning, triggering panic and leaving several homes in imminent danger. While no casualties have been reported, the collapse of a critical retaining wall beneath the road has cut off access pathways and left several multi-storeyed buildings structurally compromised. Police said residents were advised to evacuate the buildings immediately after the landslide around 4am. A similar landslide occurred at the same location on June 28, 2025, which trapped several women and children under debris. Local residents allege that the disaster was caused by private construction on the hillside, which involved extensive excavation. They claim the work continued despite a strict Municipal Corporation ban on hill cutting during the monsoon. Continuous rainfall subsequently weakened the exposed slope. Rahul, a local bakery owner whose family has been stranded on the road since 3.30am after witnessing the hill give way, said that 10 to 15 families are now at risk. "The foundation of our house has become extremely weak and the building can collapse at any time. We want an immediate retaining wall and temporary protection through tarpaulin covering. We informed officials in the morning, but no work has started yet," he said around noon. Sanjauli ward councillor Mamta Chandel said six houses are under direct threat. She promised strict legal action if the monsoon construction ban was found to be violated, adding that the mayor and civic engineers are surveying the site to install tarpaulins and secure the area. Defending the project, construction site owner Naresh Zinta denied carrying out any active work for the past month. He instead blamed waterlogging caused by uncleaned civic drains, which diverted the entire hillside's rainwater into his excavated plot. Zinta claimed he had submitted written complaints regarding the faulty drainage to the municipal commissioner last year and again 25 days ago, but no action was taken until after Saturday's landslide. "People will naturally blame the construction because it is our site," Zinta said, adding: "But unless the drainage issue is permanently resolved, such incidents may continue. I want a fair investigation. I am ready to face whatever action is warranted if I am found responsible." Following a site inspection, Shimla mayor Surinder Chauhan said that preliminary assessments point to hill cutting from the construction project as the primary cause of the landslide, rather than water seepage. To rule out utility leaks, the area's main water pipeline has been shut down. The mayor announced that the municipal corporation had previously issued a stop-work notice to the owner and was auditing the project's building plan compliance. "The construction owner has accepted responsibility, and we have issued written directions to construct a retaining wall at their own expense at the earliest," Chauhan said. "If required, families living in vulnerable houses will be shifted to safer locations." In response to ongoing weather warnings, the municipal corporation has deployed its machinery alongside 100 to 150 emergency labourers. The civic body is also working with the forest department to clear fallen trees and remove identified hazardous trees in vulnerable zones. In a separate incident in the Shimla suburbs, another landslide at Mohal Rajhana buried and damaged two parked vehicles under rocks and debris....