As heavy rainfall wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh, several bridges collapsed in the hill state under the impact of flash floods. The historical Panchvaktra bridgein Mandi was washed away as the river's water level increased. A portion of the national highway, along the Beas river in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu, was also washed away following massive landslides.
In a late-night operation, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Sunday rescued six people who were stranded in the Beas River near Nagwain village in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district.
In the visuals shared by the news agency ANI on Sunday, a bridge connecting Aut-Banjar was washed away as the Beas river flowed ferociously in the Mandi district.
People have shared visuals on social media in which bridges in the state can be seen crashing into rivers due to the hefty flow of water.
The local authorities swiftly responded to the emergency, ordering the closure of schools and colleges for the next two days to ensure public safety. All major rivers in the region, including the Ravi, Beas, Satluj, Swan, and Chenab, are overflowing.
The state meteorological office has issued a new red alert for extremely heavy rains, with precipitation exceeding 204 mm expected in ten of the twelve districts. The alert does not apply to the tribal districts of Kinnaur, Lahaul, and Spiti, it said. According to the report, the state government has taken precautionary measures by temporarily closing all state-affiliated government and private schools and colleges for two days, from July 10 to July 11.
Schools affiliated with the ICSE, CBSE, and other boards are permitted to make their own closure decisions, it added.