Shimla: Three people were killed and more than 50 went missing after two separate incidents of cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh where rains washed away many houses and roads and left two hydropower projects damaged, officials said on August 1.
Search and rescue operations are currently underway as officials assess the full extent of the situation. Roads have been washed away and a hydropower project in Malana has also been damaged, Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap told PTI news agency.
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, police, and home guards are leading the rescue operations in the region, and drones are also being used to locate missing people.
"Very sad news has been received about more than 50 people missing due to cloudburst in Rampur tehsil of Shimla, Padhar tehsil of Mandi district and Jaon, Nirmand villages of Kullu," Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on X. "I am in touch with the officials and monitoring the relief and rescue operations. The state government is committed to provide all possible assistance," Sukhu, who convened an emergency meeting following the cloudbursts, added.
The weather office has also warned about the risk of landslides and flash floods in some vulnerable areas of Kullu, Solan, Sirmaur, Shimla, and Kinnaur districts. Additionally, they cautioned strong winds and waterlogging could cause damage to crops, plantations, delicate structures, and unpaved homes.
Monsoon fury has also hit normal life in neighboring Uttarakhand. Two people died and another was injured after a cloudburst at Jakhanyali in Tehri Garhwal district. In Haridwar, two children died and nine others were injured when the roof of a dilapidated house collapsed after heavy rainfall, said an official. (Agencies)
