In separate episodes of flash floods and landslides brought on by heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh, authorities said today that six people were killed, and 13 more were thought dead.
They said that 22 individuals who were left trapped by a flash flood in the state’s Hamirpur area were successfully rescued.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur offered his sympathies for the fatalities and stated that the government was conducting rescue efforts in the affected areas on a war footing.
According to authorities, a landslide brought on by rainfall in the Chamba district claimed the lives of three persons when their homes fell.
According to the Chamba district emergency operation center (DEOC), a home fell after a landslide in Banet village in Chowari tehsil at 4.30 am, killing three persons.
Authorities said that a girl was murdered in Mandi and that 13 other people were thought dead after heavy rains caused a landslide and flash flood.
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Five members of the child’s family have swept away on Friday night, while the girl’s corpse was found approximately half a kilometer from her home in Baghi Nullah on the Mandi-Katola-Prashar route.
Following a cloud burst, the agency noted that some families abandoned their homes in the Baghi to Old Katola neighborhoods and sought safety elsewhere.
A landslide in Kashan village in the Gohar development block is also thought to have buried eight members of another family beneath their home’s wreckage, the department reported.
But, it said, the corpses have not yet been found.
In addition, several highways in the Mandi area are closed due to several landslides and flash floods.
As water invaded residents’ homes and businesses in Balh, Sadar, Thunag, Mandi, and Lamathach, many cars were destroyed, and several locals were trapped inside their homes, according to authorities.
Due to a senior administrative official, all schools in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh will be closed due to the continued, nonstop rain.
Residents said that many cars parked along the road were destroyed and were still confined to their homes.
According to authorities, a “kacha” home fell in Kangra, killing a nine-year-old kid.
In another incidence in the same area, they reported that a landslide caused the death of 48-year-old Bal Mukund in the hamlet of Lahar.
According to officials, a flash flood also swept down two supports of the Chakki River rail bridge across the Kangra Valley. Due to landslides in several locations, the national Pathankot-Mandi route has been blocked from traffic.
The state of Himachal Pradesh’s disaster management office has warned about landslides due to the heavy rainfall expected there until August 25.
Sudesh Kumar Mokhtar, director of the state disaster management department, predicted that rainfall would likely increase over the next 24 hours and continue to rise for the next three to four days, with heavy downpours possible in some areas of the Kangra, Chamba, Mandi, Kullu, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan, Hamirpur, Una, and Bilaspur districts.
Mr. Mokhta requested that district emergency operations centers (EOCs) take the necessary precautions due to the possibility of landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, rock slides, rapid rises in river levels, poor visibility, and interruptions to critical services at this time.
After the India Meteorological Department projected moderate to heavy rains until August 28, the Kangra district government issued an alert advising visitors and residents to avoid rivers and streams.
Nipun Jindal, the Deputy Commissioner for Kangra, stated, “It is recommended against visiting rivers, streams, and other water bodies for both tourists and the general people. Likewise, one should stay away from landslide-prone places “.
He also urged the authorities to be vigilant and ready to handle any problems that could develop as a result of the situation.
According to Mr. Jindal, the deputy director of the department of education has already been given the go-ahead to hold online lessons in classrooms.