Thekchen Chöling, Dharamsala, HP, India - On his return to Dharamsala today after extensive travels that have included the USA, Ladakh, Mumbai and Delhi, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has written to Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
“I am deeply saddened to learn that a massive landslide swept away vehicles, including public buses, on the Pathankot-Mandi Highway near Mandi on Saturday night resulting in the tragic death and injury of many people,” he wrote. “I would like to offer my condolences to those families who have lost loved ones and to others affected by this catastrophe.
“Himachal Pradesh has been my home for over 57 years, and I naturally feel an affinity for its people. Natural disasters like this are difficult to predict and consequently difficult to take precautions against. However, I wonder if the introduction of warning procedures at the first signs of trouble might help prevent the recurrence of such events in the future.”
His Holiness ended his letter with the assurance that as a token of his respect and sympathy, he was making a donation from the Dalai Lama Trust to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.
