Over 50 persons were killed in Himachal Pradesh as heavy rains battered the hill-state and triggered landslides that blocked key roads and brought down houses, in the last 24 hours.
A total of 14 persons were killed in two Shimla landslips, including one at a temple.
In the third major rain-related tragedy in less than 24 hours in the hill-state, flash floods have swept away seven people.
“Disturbing visuals have emerged from Sambhal, Pandoh – District Mandi, where, as reported, seven individuals have been swept away by flash floods today. Active rescue, search, and relief operations are currently in progress to address this dreadful situation,” Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu posted on X.
CM Sikhvinder Singh Sukhu has informed that he received calls from leaders across the political spectrum including President Droupadi Murmu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Mallikarjun Kharge, BJP chief JP Nadda, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi to provide all possible help to the state government.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are engaged in relief and rescue operations in rain-hit Himachal Pradesh, and termed the loss of lives due to the deluge as “extremely distressing.”
15 to 20 people were feared buried in two landslides in Shimla city, Deputy Commissioner of Shimla Aditya Negi told news agency PTI.
According to the state emergency operation centre, 752 roads were closed in the state because of the calamity.
“The location of the Monsoon trough lies along the foothills of the Himalayas, and hence the South-westerly Arabian Sea monsoonal winds are hitting the Himalayan foothills,” the Indian Meteorological Department said today.
