Cloudburst leaves four dead, several injured

Ambala, July 20 (UNI) At least four people were killed and several others injured when they were washed away in Markanda river which was inundated after a cloudburst near the Kala Amb bridge in Naraingarh sub-division in this district today.

The dead included a woman and a child. The bodies of all the deceased were recovered from the flooded river and were being identified, Deputy Commissioner O P Langyan said.

According to information received here, the impact of the cloudburst was so strong that a portion of the bridge was badly damaged and the vehicles passing over it were washed away.

Four persons travelling in a jeep from Dehradun to Manali were washed away but were fished out by the divers later. They were given first aid as they had suffered minor injures.

An Indica car, Sumo, TATA 407 and a number of motorcycles were feared to have been washed away in the turbulent waters.

Safety boats had been pressed into service to locate the missing vehicles with persons travelling in them.

The Deputy commissioner and the Superintendent of Police have rushed to the spot to launch rescue.

The vehicular traffic on the damaged bridge was affected and had to be diverted till the bridge was repaired. The district authorities have sought help of the army to repair the bridge.

UNI XC/MA/VKJ SK HT1954