Heavy rains wreak havoc in north India; schools shut in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh

Heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods in the hill states of northern India with authorities in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh announcing closure of schools for Tuesday. Rain-related incidents have claimed at least eight lives in Himachal Pradesh while hundreds remained stranded across the state.

A swollen Beas river flows after heavy rains in the region, in Kullu district. PTI Photo

NEW DELHI: Heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods in the hill states of northern India with authorities in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh announcing closure of schools for Tuesday. Rain-related incidents have claimed at least eight lives in Himachal Pradesh while hundreds remained stranded across the state. Three people were washed away near Manali late on Sunday night when their vehicle fell into the swollen Beas river. Elsewhere, two people were washed away in the Parbati river in the Manikaran valley, while one girl died near Bajaura. Both incidents occurred in Kullu, one of the worst affected districts by flashfloods. A man was drowned in a swollen rivulet near Palampur town in Kangra district, while another was killed when a building was washed away in a rivulet in Una district. An Indian Air Force team had rescued, with the help of a chopper, 21 people stranded due to flash floods at Dobi in Kullu district in the last 48 hours. Also, It has been raining in Punjab incessantly for the last two days. The authorities in the state were prompted to review preparations to tackle flood-like situations. The Punjab government has asked district authorities to maintain vigil to avert any untoward situation due to heavy rains, PTI quoted an official as saying. In Uttarakhand, most of the places including state capital Dehradun received showers with around 45 rural roads blocked in these districts, the state emergency operation centre said. In Jammu and Kashmir, five members of a family, including three minors, were killed Monday when their house was buried under debris after a landslide in the Doda district, while 29 people stranded in Kathua district after flash floods were rescued. Heavy rains lashed several parts of the national capital, causing waterlogging and traffic snarls on major intersections in the city. According to the Meterological department, heavy to very heavy rain is expected at isolated places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. (With inputs from agencies)