Both Parents Swept Away In Mandi Landslides But 11-Month-Old Survives
An 11-month-old girl survived a landslide in Himachal Pradesh that killed her parents and grandmother. The family was diverting floodwater when the tragedy struck.
An 11-month-old girl miraculously survived a devastating landslide that swept away her parents and grandmother in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district last week. The incident occurred in the early hours of the night, around 1 am, amid relentless rainfall that has battered the state since the onset of the monsoon.
According to the baby's uncle, the child's parents, Ramesh Kumar and Radha Devi, along with her grandmother Poonam Devi, had stepped out of their house to divert rainwater that had started flooding their home. It was during this effort that a landslide triggered by the downpour struck, killing all three adults.
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Neighbours Find Baby Alone
Neighbours living on higher ground rushed down to check on the family around 2 am after noticing something was wrong. To their shock, they found only the baby girl asleep in the house, completely unaware of the tragedy. The family was informed the next morning, and a search operation was launched.
Ramesh's body was later recovered from under the debris. However, the bodies of Radha Devi and Poonam Devi remain missing, and search efforts by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are ongoing.
The girl's uncle revealed that several adoption offers have come in, but the family is firm: “We won’t give her away, we will raise her,” he said.
Rain Wreaks Havoc Across Himachal
Since June 20, at least 78 people have died across Himachal Pradesh due to landslides, flash floods, and cloudbursts. Mandi has emerged as the worst-hit district, with hundreds of roads blocked. The IMD has issued fresh flash flood alerts for 10 districts.
The IMD has issued Red Alerts for Mandi, alongside Kangra and Sirmaur, warning of extremely heavy to very heavy rainfall within 24 hours. Flash-flood risks have also been highlighted in Mandi and neighbouring areas
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