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A cloudburst in the Jadon village in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district killed at least seven people and left three others missing, while a rescue operation was underway.
The continuous rainfall wreaked havoc in the state as flooding, landslides, and falling trees damaged many houses in Mandi, Sirmaur, Shimla, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, and Solan. At least a dozen vehicles were also damaged. Many houses reportedly remain without electricity and water.
The Superintendent of Police, Solan, Gaurav Singh said that they identified the dead in Solan as Harnam (38), Kamal Kishore (35), Hemlata (34), Rahul (14), Neha (12), Golu (8), and Raksha (12).
The closure of over 800 roads, including Kalka-Shimla, Chandigarh-Manali, Shimla-Dharamshala, and Paonta-Shilai NH, has affected over 2,000 bus routes across the state.
The meteorological department has issued a heavy rainfall alert for the next three to four hours. The catchment areas of Beas, Pong Dam, Ranjit Sagar, and Sutlej rivers have been cautioned, with a warning of events like cloudburst. They have issued flood warnings for nine districts until Tuesday.
In a tweet, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu offered condolences and stated that he had directed the authorities to ensure all possible assistance and support to the affected families.
"Devastated to hear about the loss of 7 precious lives in the tragic cloudburst incident at Village Jadon, Dhawla Sub-Tehsil in Solan District. My heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving families. We share in your pain and sorrow during this difficult time," the Chief Minister's Office tweeted.
“We have directed the authorities to ensure all possible assistance and support to the affected families during this trying period,” he added.
Hill state closes schools due to heavy rain
In light of heavy rain, the Chief Minister announced the closure of all educational institutions in the hill state for the safety of students. The Chief Minister has contacted the district collectors to assess the damage and road closures due to the landslides. He directed the administrative staff, including the chief secretary, home secretary and district collectors, to ensure the smooth running of roads, electricity and water.
The Department of Education has canceled ongoing graduate exams, including B.Ed exams scheduled for Aug. 14.
Heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are the result of a new western disturbance, according to the India Meteorological Department. The monsoon trough along the foothills of the Himalayas brings southwest monsoonal winds from the Arabian Sea, causing heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in specific areas.
Monsoon devastates state: floods, landslides, losses
The state faces significant challenges due to flooding and landslides. The monsoon has caused a staggering loss of Rs 7,020.28 crore, with 257 lives lost due to various causes. Landslides, flash floods, traffic accidents, and other reasons contributed to these losses. In addition, 32 people are missing and 290 are injured.
The impact of the monsoon has caused damage to houses, shops and cow barns. The state experienced 90 landslides and 55 flash flood incidents. More than 450 roads, including 2 National Highways, remain closed, along with 1,814 electricity supply schemes and 59 water supply schemes affected.
The challenging situation in Himachal Pradesh requires vigilance, rapid response and coordinated relief and recovery efforts.
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