Shimla, Oct. 9 -- Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said that the landslide was triggered due to the continuous and excessive rains along with unusual weather pattern since June in the state. As many as 16 people were killed after a private bus was struck by a massive landslide in the Bhalluarea in Jhandutta tehsil of Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur district on Tuesday evening. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu while talking to the media on Wednesday said, "Due to continuous rain in Hamirpur and Bilaspur regions, the soil has become saturated, making the hills unstable. When the weather clears and rain returns suddenly, it leads to landslides." He also cautioned citizens to remain vigilant in view of the continuing rain and snowfall in higher regions. "The last few days have seen continuous rainfall, and even now, higher areas are witnessing snowfall. We all must remain alert and cautious," he said. The site where the landslide occurred was not among the landslide-prone areas in Bilaspur district. Rare incidents of stone shooting have been reported here in the past. Responding to allegations that local authorities were warned about the risk of the hill collapsing, the Himachal chief minister said, "These allegations are false and baseless. Landslides are part of the mountain's natural behaviour, and this particular area is not generally prone to such incidents." Deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri said, "Himachal Pradesh needs to redefine its development model." Agnihotri said that there is an urgent need to revisit and revise the state's development model, especially in light of the recurringnatural disasters that have caused massive destruction over the past three years. Speaking to the media in Bilaspur after the tragic bus accident, the deputy CM said,"Once again, we need to review the development model. The kind of damage that has occurred in Himachal over the past three years due to natural calamities and floods shows that the existing model is not sustainable. In the young Himalayan mountains, it has become absolutely necessary to rethink our approach to development." Agnihotri pointed out that since 2023, Himachal has been continuously hit by natural disasters, causing losses exceeding Rs.20,000 crore. "In the Jal Shakti Department alone, this year's losses amount to Rs.4,000 crore," he noted. Adding that his department is also rethinking its approach, Agnohotri said, "Earlier, water supply schemes were designed within the flow of rivers; now we are working on models to construct them outside water channels."...