Snow in HP tribal distt, 5 deaths in rain related incidents

Shimla, Aug 15 (UNI) The higher reaches of Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh today received its first spell of snow of this season as persistent rains continued to disrupt normal life in the rest of the state.

Meanwhile, five weather related deaths were reported in the hill state during the last 24 hours.

Three people were washed away in separate incidents in the Bharmour subdivision of district Chamba. In the first incident, two people fell into the Ravi river after being hit by boulders. Police identified them as Kasru Ram (27) and Ram Dayal Yadav (24), residents of Bihar who were working on the road for the HCC Company.

In another incident, one person identified as Moolkhi Ram was washed away while trying to cross the flooded Uahi rivulet. All three dead bodies were yet to be.

In the third incident, two Nepalese children were killed and their mother was injured when a wall collapsed due to heavy rains in Mulkoti Panchayat of Theog subdivision, 32 km from here today. The two kids were identified as Kalu (4) and one-year old Sanjay. Their mother, Kalpana was admitted to the IGMC hospital here.

Reports received here said the higher reaches of Lahaul and Spiti received mild snowfall last night.

The road link to the helipad at Annandale of Shimla was blocked after heavy overnight rains uprooted trees this morning. The local bus services to the Annandal area was also got affected.

Reports said due to heavy overnight rains, 11 houses collapsed in Rambashir tehsil of district Solan causing loss of around Rs two lakh. Road link to Shimla from Rambashir was also disrupted due to a landslide near Degal.

However, air services to Shimla resumed after two days as the weather cleared in the morning.

Report received from Solan said NH-22 was closed yesterday evening following landslides in Barog and Kumarhatti-Solan bypass.

Efforts were on to remove the debris from the highway.

In Mandi, moderate to heavy rains continued to lash the popular hill resort for the third successive day. The rain caused damage to rural link roads.

In Dharamshala, heavy rain paralysed normal life. The Dadasiba-Daliyara road was closed due to flash floods.

Una received 88.4 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours while Shimla had 60 mm, Nahan 47 mm, Solan 20.2 mm, Dharamshala 17.6 mm, Sundernagar 22.9 mm, Bhuntar 24.3 mm, Kalpa received 4.4 mm and Manali 15.2 mm raifall.

Met office has forcast rain and thundershowers in most of places in Himachal Pradesh for next 24 hours.

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