The catastrophic cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh and ensuing heavy floods have claimed 22 lives so far. Rescue operations are underway to find 30 missing individuals. According to India Today, Kullu's Nirmand, Sainj and Malana, Mandi's Padhar, and Shimla's Rampur have experienced flash floods. The Samej village in Rampur subdivision is the worst hit area, where approximately 25 people have gone missing.
Nine bodies were found in Rajbhan village of Mandi district, three from Nirmand and Bagipul in Kullu district, and ten from Samej and surrounding areas of Dhadkol, Bro, and Sunni Dam in Shimla district. So far, 12 of the 22 bodies have been identified, and DNA samples are being collected to identify the remaining bodies.
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The continuous rain and landslides have lead to the closure of over 100 roads in Himachal Pradesh.
A total of 109 roads are closed, including 29 in Shimla, 37 in Mandi, 26 in Kullu, 6 in Kangra, four each in Kinnaur and Lahaul, and Spiti, two in Sirmaur, and one in Hamirpur. Additionally, 58 transformers and 15 water supply schemes have been disrupted, according to the state emergency operation centre.
Met Office Issues 'Orange Alert'
The local meteorological office has issued an Orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning in isolated areas of the state for Saturday. It has also warned of low-to-moderate flash flood risk in parts of Kangra, Sirmaur, Chamba, Shimla, Kullu, Kinnaur, Solan, and Mandi districts in the next 24 hours. The monsoon activity is likely to advance in the next five to six days, with widespread rains.
More than 650 rescuers from teams of the Army, NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, CISF, Himachal Pradesh Police, and home guard were part of the search and rescue operation, which was intensified by deploying more machinery, sniffer dog squads, drones, and other equipment.
Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan stated that the Army had increased its rescue operations. “In response to the devastating cloudburst that struck Samej Village in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, extensive rescue operations are currently in progress. The civilian administration has deployed 10 heavy-duty excavators to aid in the efforts. Additionally, the Army has deployed two drones to assist in the search and rescue operations. Medical assistance has been provided to 65 patients affected by the disaster. Tragically, one body was recovered near the Lunhari area in the Sutlej River by the state administration,” he said.