Cloudburst In Himachal Pradesh: 3 Dead, 40 Missing

Three people have been killed and at least 40 are missing following two separate incidents of cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh, officials said on Thursday.

A cloudburst at Samagh Khud (nallah) in Rampur subdivision of Shimla district left two people dead and 28 others missing, Superintendent of Police (SP), Shimla Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, told PTI.

He mentioned that rescue operations are challenging because the roads have been washed away. Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi stated that heavy rains and a cloudburst have caused massive damage in the state, severely impacting road connectivity in the affected areas.

He said that four motorable bridges and footbridges have been washed away, and rescue operations are in full swing. The apple crop has also been damaged. The District Collector (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP), who are on the scene, stated that teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police, local police, and home guards have commenced rescue operations. Drones are being used to locate missing persons.

In another incident, a cloudburst in the Thalatukhod area of Padhar in Mandi district on Wednesday night resulted in one death and left nine others missing. Several houses have collapsed, and road connectivity has been disrupted. The Mandi district administration has requested assistance from the Indian Air Force and NDRF. The overflowing Beas River has damaged the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway in several places.

Reports indicate that houses have been damaged in Bhagipul in Kullu, and an alert has been issued in the Bhuntar area of Kullu due to flooding from the swollen Parvati River and Malana Khud. The Malana I and Malana II hydropower projects have suffered damage.

The Manali-Chandigarh National Highway has been breached at multiple locations due to landslides, and the gushing waters of the Beas River have entered some houses in Pandoh, Mandi. Reports suggest that some people are missing, and several houses and shops have been washed away. All educational institutions in the affected regions have been closed as authorities prioritize rescue and relief efforts. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has convened an emergency meeting at the secretariat following the cloudburst.

The officials from the District Disaster Management Authority were alerted about the cloudburst early in the morning.

However, the teams of the National Disaster Response Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, police and home guards are involved in the rescue operations.

Meanwhile, Union Health Minister and BJP President JP Nadda has urged his party workers in the region to take part in the rescue operation.

A statement from the Health Minister's office said "On the sad news of huge losses and disruption of life due to cloudburst in various areas of Himachal Pradesh, Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda spoke to Himachal Chief Minister Sukhwinder Sukhu and assured all possible help from the central government. The BJP President JP Nadda also spoke to former CM and LoP in the Himachal assembly Jairam Thakur and the BJP State President and directed all BJP workers to engage in relief work."