At least 55 people have died after heavy rain triggered landslides and a cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh. Several roads were blocked in the state due to the continuous downpours. On Tuesday, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the death toll was likely to go up as he visited the affected areas to take stock of the situation. He said Solan, Shimla, Mandi, and Hamirpur were among the worst-affected districts in the state.
“Around 55 people have lost their lives in the state till now. The death toll might go up. Restoration work is being done on a war footing. Chandigarh-Shimla 4-lane highway along with other arterial roads has been opened," CM Sukhu said.
CM Sukhu said the state witnessed the maximum number of cloudburst incidents this monsoon compared to the last 50 years.
The chief minister said that he spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah who assured him all help needed. The chief minister also said that one Army helicopter has been deployed in Shimla and that search and rescue efforts were underway.
On Monday, the chief minister also visited the disaster-hit village of Jadon in Solan district which suffered heavy loss of life and property due to a cloudburst. According to officials, seven people of a family lost their lives in the disaster.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in several parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The weather department issued a “red alert” for both the states. Himachal Pradesh has been witnessing heavy rainfall since Monday.