Himachal Rains: Cloudburst Near Samej Bridge Claims 13 Lives, Ongoing Rescue Operations

Following a cloudburst near Shrikhand, Himachal Pradesh, 13 lives have been lost with rescue operations underway. The NDRF has been deployed, and the IMD has issued heavy rainfall alerts.

At least 13 individuals have lost their lives following a cloudburst near the Samej and Bagi bridges on Wednesday night, which swept away 45 people near Shrikhand in Himachal Pradesh.

Rescue efforts are currently ongoing in the affected.

Photo Credit: X/ANI

Himachal Pradesh Cloudburst: NDRF's Preparedness

Baljinder Singh, Commandant of the 14th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), mentioned that this year, NDRF teams were dispatched to Himachal Pradesh well-prepared to avoid any delays in rescue operations, as reported by ANI. "This year, the NDRF teams were sent to remote locations in Himachal Pradesh to ensure there is no delay in the rescue operations. The Samej cloudburst that has taken place is a huge disaster," Singh stated.

By Thursday morning, 13 bodies had been recovered. "We have recovered 13 dead bodies as of now. Four dead bodies were recovered earlier. Ten more people were missing, and we have found nine bodies as of now. One person has still not been found. We will make sure the rescue operations are carried out properly," Singh added.

IMD Issues Alerts Amid Heavy Rainfall

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported significant rainfall across Himachal Pradesh on August 7, with Joginder Nagar in Mandi district recording the highest at 110 mm within 24 hours. Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD Himachal Pradesh, confirmed that alerts were issued for various regions due to heavy rainfall, as per ANi Reports.

"We have recorded the highest rainfall at Joginder Nagar in Mandi district at 110 mm during the past 24 hours. It is heavy rainfall, and in Sirmaur district, we have received heavy rainfall," Dr. Srivastava stated.

In other parts of Himachal Pradesh, moderate rainfall was observed. Nearly 75 per cent of areas received between 30 mm to 50 mm of rainfall over the past day. The IMD has issued an orange alert for lower Himalayan districts including Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Chamba, and Mandi.

Earlier reports indicated that landslides and cloudbursts had claimed lives and left many missing amid ongoing monsoon rains in Himachal Pradesh. In Kerala's Wayanad district, landslides resulted in a death toll reaching 200 with over 200 injured and numerous rescues by the Indian Army, as per media reports.

The Commissioner of Railway Safety highlighted lapses at multiple levels regarding a recent Kanchanjunga accident, calling it an 'accident-in-waiting'. The IMD also issued a yellow alert for Delhi predicting more showers throughout the week. Rescue operations continue as authorities strive to locate those still missing and provide aid to affected individuals.