Himachal Flash Floods Leave 30 Missing in Rampur Amid Rescue Operations

Rescue teams continued their efforts on Thursday to locate around 30 missing individuals after a cloudburst in Shimla district's Rampur subdivision. The incident has left families devastated, with many anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones.

A cloudburst near Shrikhand Mahadev on Wednesday night caused flash floods in Sarpara, Ganvi, and Kurban nallahs. This led to the water level in Samej Khud rising significantly, resulting in two fatalities and about 30 people unaccounted for, according to Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi.

Rescue Operations and Challenges

The search area spans approximately 100 km, some of which is difficult to access. "We have to search about a 100-km area, some of which is inaccessible and drones are being used to locate the missing people," Gandhi said on Thursday. Various rescue teams, including the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, and home guards, are involved in the operations.

The state emergency operation centre reported that cloudbursts occurred in Nirmand, Sainj, and Malana areas in Kullu, Padhar in Mandi, and Rampur in Shimla districts. These events have caused significant damage and disruption across multiple regions.

Impact on Local Communities

Maini Devi, a resident of Kullu’s Malana village, recounted her experience: "Around 3 am, there was a huge sound from the Malana Dam site downstream and in the morning we got to know that it was breached." The breach has severely affected the local community.

Mohan Lal Kaptiya, Pradhan of Sarpara Panchayat under which Samej falls, claimed that about 29-30 houses, a primary health centre, and a school had been washed away in the flash floods. Road connectivity to Malana village has been cut off, leading residents to hoard essential commodities and causing local shops to run out of supplies.

Personal Accounts of the Tragedy

Nali Ram, a senior citizen who managed to escape with his family, described the terrifying moment: "I heard the sound of gushing waters and came out of my house only to find the area around flooded. I immediately rushed to a safe place with my family." His quick actions likely saved their lives.

Neel Dutt shared his distressing situation: "My father-in-law who was working on a project has been missing since last night and I along with other relatives came here in search of him." Many families are experiencing similar anguish as they await news of their missing members.

The administration is still evaluating the extent of the losses caused by these natural disasters. The combined efforts of various rescue teams aim to bring some relief and closure to those affected by this tragedy.