Himachal cloudbursts: Death count rises to 9, 45 still missing amid heavy rain alert

Moderate to heavy showers continued to lash parts of Himachal Pradesh, with Jogindernagar receiving the highest rainfall of 85 mm since Friday evening, followed by Gohar 80 mm, Shilaroo 76.4 mm, Poanta Sahib 67.2 mm, Palampur 57.2 mm, Dharamshala 56.2 mm and Chopal 52 mm.

The death count due to flash floods triggered by cloudbursts in three districts in Himachal Pradesh rose to nine on Sunday as the rescue teams intensified their efforts to search for 45 people who went missing since the natural calamity. The rescuers recovered a body from Rajban village in Himachal’s Mandi. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday warned that heavy showers would continue in the state till August 7.

410 rescuers from teams of the Army, NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, CISF, Himachal Pradesh Police and home guards are involved in the hunt with the help of drones, said the officials.

About 45 people have been missing since a series of cloudbursts occurred in Kullu’s Nirmand, Sainj and Malana; Mandi’s Padhar and Shimla’s Rampur subdivision on the night of July 31 and wreaked havoc.

Flood alert in Changut Nala
“Due to a sudden flood in Changut Nala of Mayad Valley at around 8:30 PM, the Miyad road from Changut to Tingret is closed. There is no reported loss of life or property. Local residents are advised to stay in safe places. Please avoid the affected area and remain vigilant,” Lahaul and Spiti police posted on X.

Due to a sudden flood in Changut Nala of Mayad Valley at around 8:30 PM, the Miyad road from Changut to Tingret is closed. There is no reported loss of life or property. Local residents are advised to stay in safe places. Please avoid the affected area and remain vigilant. pic.twitter.com/NyIC9K9EBv

— Lahaul & Spiti Police (@splahhp) August 3, 2024

The body of 11-year-old Anamika was found under a big boulder, which was blasted by the rescue teams, the officials said.

“The possibility of rescuing people alive is diminishing with each passing hour but we just hope that the bodies are recovered soon as delay would lead to decaying of bodies which would make identification difficult,” said Pradhan of Gram Sarpara Mohan Lal Kaptiya.

“A combined rescue operation is underway and efforts are afoot to search for the missing people. We are using various equipment and sensors to detect victims buried or trapped under the debris,” said NDRF Commanding Officer Karam Singh whose team along with others is engaged in searching for the missing people in Samej village on the border of Shimla and Kullu district.

In Rampur subdivision’s Samej village alone, over 30 people are reported missing. Former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday visited the Sainj area in Kullu district and interacted with the affected families.

He said that some of the victims are still awaiting the relief fund and asked the administration to provide help at the earliest.

114 roads closed in Himachal Pradesh
Heavy rain led to the closure of 114 roads in Himachal Pradesh, while the weather department warned that heavy showers would continue for the next few days.

Of the roads closed for vehicular traffic, 36 are in Mandi, 34 in Kullu, 27 in Shimla, eight in Lahaul and Spiti, seven in Kangra, and two in Kinnaur district, according to the state emergency operation centre.

The Himachal Roads Transport Corporation has suspended its bus services on 82 routes, an official said.

CM announces financial aid
On Friday, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who visited Samej village, announced an immediate relief of Rs 50,000 for the victims and said they would be given Rs 5,000 monthly for rent for the next three months along with gas, food and other essential items.

He also said that 115 houses, 23 cowsheds, 10 shops and three fish farms have perished in this disaster besides motorable, footbridges and vehicles in cloudburst since Wednesday night.

The state has suffered a loss of Rs 662 crore since the onset of monsoon on June 27 till August 3. Seventy-nine people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents, as per the state emergency operation centre.

(With PTI inputs)

News Source:- INDIA TV