Heavy rains lash HP, 3 swept away in flash floods

Shimla/Hamirpur, Aug 14: Three persons were washed away by strong water current as rains wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, Kangra and Hamirpur districts last night, triggering landslides and disrupting traffic.

No bus from Kullu and Mandi could reach state capital Shimla this morning due to road blockades, HRTC Control Room in-charge said. Some of the drivers reported closure of roads due to landslides but detailed reports are awaited, he said. Three persons were washed away and another trapped in the grills of a bridge as the bailey bridge between Jahoo and Bhambla over Sheer Khud in Hamirpur district was washed away due to flash floods last night.

The body of one person has been recovered while two persons are still missing, officials said. The bailey bridge was constructed as the old bridge had worn out and was not in use. The old bridge was also washed away in rains along with the recently constructed bailey bridge over Sheer Khud, connecting Hamirpur district with Mandi.

Reports reaching here said that authorities have reached Jahoo to supervise relief and rescue operations. Normal life was virtually paralysed in the lower hills of Mandi, Kullu, Kangra and Hamirpur as massive landslides occurred at numerous places and uprooted trees and electricity poles blocked the roads.

Attendance in most primary schools in Hamirpur district was very thin as students could not reach schools due to rains and disruption of vehicular traffic. Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner Rohan Chand Thakur said the administration was seized of the situation and field staff had been alerted to take care of their respective areas.

He said the SDM, Bhoranj had been sent to Jahoo to help locate the bodies of the missing persons. Reports of heavy damage are pouring in from various parts of the state and the data is being compiled, Engineer-in Chief, Naresh Sharma said.

PTI