Himachal Flash Floods: 8 Dead, 45 Feared Missing. CM Sukhvinder Sukhu Visits Worst-Hit Samej Village — Updates

Flash floods triggered by cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh have left 8 dead and over 45 missing. Rescue operations by the Army, NDRF, and other agencies are ongoing.

Rescue operations were underway to locate over 45 people missing after flash floods caused by cloudbursts in three districts of Himachal Pradesh, officials reported on Friday. The death toll has risen to 8 with the discovery of 3 more bodies in Nirmand, Sainj, Malana in Kullu, Padhar in Mandi, and Rampur in Shimla, news agency PTI reported.

Five bodies were found in Mandi, including two identified as Aman (9) and Aryan (8), one in Nirmand, Kullu, and two in Rampur, Shimla. "Bodies of my father-in-law and mother-in-law have been recovered but my son, my brother-in-law, his wife, and their six-year-old son and two-month-old daughter are still missing," a grieving woman said, PTI reported.

"Fear of death kept us awake all night as we climbed to a mountain to stay safe," reported another villager who came out after hearing screams to see houses swept in flash floods.

Deputy Commissioner, Kullu, Torul S Raveesh, said 33 people stranded at the Malana II power project site were rescued by teams from the NDRF and home guard on Thursday in Kullu's Manikaran area. A damaged wall and tunnel entrance allowed water to enter the barrage, but the teams managed to save the people.

CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Visits Worst-Hit Samej Area 

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu along with Education Minister Rohit Thakur paid their visit to Samej on the border of Shimla and Kullu district to assess the situation and talk to the victims.

According to PTI, Officials stated that the Army, NDRF, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, State Disaster Response Force, police, and home guards are all participating in the rescue operations, using drones to locate the missing.

The Samej area of the Shimla district suffered the most damage due to a cloudburst near the Shrikhand Mahadev route, affecting both the Shimla and Kullu districts. Three people are missing, and 15 families are impacted, PTI reported.

BJP MP from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut, expressed her distress over the incidents and stated that despite the difficult terrain, such disasters are making life even harder for the people. She mentioned that the prime minister and home minister have promised aid and she is also working to secure further assistance for Himachal Pradesh.

Kangana further mentioned that the Government primary and secondary schools where about 100 students were studying have been damaged and arrangements are being made to run the school at another location.

Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said to PTI that due to flash floods set off by cloudburst, the water in Samej Khud in Shimla district's Rampur rose. 

"We have to search in about a 100-km area, some of which is inaccessible, and drones are being used to locate the missing people," Gandhi said on Thursday.

Over 20 houses, six shops, and several bridges were destroyed by the cloudburst, disrupting road connectivity. Since the monsoon began on June 27, 73 people have died in rain-related incidents, with losses estimated at Rs 649 crore, according to the state's Emergency Operation Centre.