Devastation in Himachal Pradesh: cloudbursts and landslides claim 51 lives

A tragic incident has occurred in the past 48 hours in Himachal Pradesh, where heavy rains triggered devastating landslides that claimed the lives of 51 people, according to the state government. Unfortunately, this number is anticipated to increase, given the possibility of more people being trapped under the rubble.

Worrying reports of casualties and property damage have emerged in Shimla, Solan and Mandi districts. Notably, in the capital city of Shimla, nine bodies were recovered on the morning of August 14, 2023, after a landslide hit a Shiva temple located in the Summerhill neighbourhood.

The IMD deputy director, Bui Lal, announced today an orange alert for Kangra, Mandi, and Shimla districts, and a yellow alert for the rest of Himachal Pradesh. Rainfall is likely to occur in many places across Himachal Pradesh in the next 48 hours. Tomorrow, Bilaspur, Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, Mandi, Kangra, and Chamba will experience a yellow alert. Although rainfall may reduce after August 16, some places in the state could still witness rainfall.

However, the local administration has estimated that approximately 20-25 people remain trapped in the rubble caused by the landslide. This grim statistic suggests that the death toll could rise further.

More devotees swarmed the temple on August 14, the last day of the holy month of Shravana in the Hindu calendar, making the circumstances bleak.

Beyond Shimla, a tragic incident unfolded in the Solan district village of Jadon, where seven people lost their lives when heavy rains collapsed a house. In addition, two lives were lost in the village of Arki, also within the Solan district, as a result of falling debris.

Torrential rains on 13 August wreaked havoc on fields and houses in the Nerchowk and Sundernagar areas within Mandi district.

This monsoon season, Himachal Pradesh has already witnessed the loss of around 270 lives, and the state has suffered substantial property damage in excess of Rs 7 billion.

Warnings issued by the India Meteorological Department about heavy rains on August 13 and 14 turned out to be prescient. More alerts have been issued for the next few days, August 15-17.

Meteorological data reveals that extraordinary levels of rain have been recorded in several regions of the state in the last 24 hours. Kangra received 273 millimeters (mm) of rain, Sujanpur experienced 254mm, Dharamshala saw 250mm, Jogindernagar had 175mm, Sundernagar recorded 168mm and Shimla witnessed 126mm.

Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu acknowledged the severe property damage caused by last month's rains in Himachal Pradesh. However, he regretted that the current calamity has resulted in a significant loss of life. He emphasized the collaborative efforts of the police, the National Disaster Response Force, the military and the administration, working tirelessly to rescue and provide aid to those affected by this catastrophe. Relief operations are being carried out with the utmost urgency.

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