The death toll in rain-triggered landslides and flash floods in Himachal Pradesh in the past 24 hours has risen to 22, while six people are feared missing. According to state disaster management officials, the downpour has caused 34 incidents of landslides and flash floods in various districts.
On Saturday night, a rolling rock fell on a touring car from Uttar Pradesh, killing two people instantly and injuring two passengers who were brought into Theog for further treatment.
A railway bridge over the Chakki River, situated in the Kangra district on the border between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, collapsed due to strong water flow and monsoon. The 800-meter-long narrow gauge route was built during British rule. Supposedly it collapsed when the pillars were weakened by the force of the water. The railway serves as a key travel route for locals in the area.
There have been 12 flood incidents and 15 major landslides in the state, a total of 34 incidents have taken place today.
The Chakki Bridge of the railway line connecting Himachal with Punjab in Pathankot was also washed away by heavy rain. Due to this the traffic through the railways has completely stopped. That may take several days to restore.
In Hamirpur, 22 people, including children, were trapped in a flash flood in Kheri Sujanpur at around 6 am when water engulfed more than 10 houses. Nineteen of them had been rescued when the latest reports came in, while two animals were washed away.
An entire village was inundated with water due to a flash flood in Kangra and more than 500 people had to be evacuated. The Kangra district administration has called on tourists and locals to avoid visiting streams and rivers that flow above the danger mark.
In the Sujanpur area of Hamirpur district, 15 to 20 people are reported to be stranded due to floods near Kheri. At the same time, contact of the tourist destination Dalhousie has also been cut off from other areas. Traffic is affected due to the flood in Bankhet near Dalhousie. (Himachal Flood)
Apart from this, there is a possibility of three people of a family being buried due to landslides in Chuvadi, a remote area of Chamba. At the same time, due to the flood in the Jahalma drain of Lahaul-Spiti, the flow of the Chandrabhaga river was stopped two days ago, due to which farmers have suffered heavy losses.
Apart from this, the bridge connecting Jasrath village has also been damaged. Due to this hundreds of people in this village are completely cut off from other areas.
A yellow alert has been issued by the Meteorological Department in Mandi, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Chamba, Sirmaur and Kangra districts regarding heavy rains in the state. Apart from this, the Mandi district administration has given relaxation in schools in the district in view of the warning of heavy rains.
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