Himachal rain havoc: 34 still missing, rescuers resume search operation

Shimla, July 3 (IANS) Rescuers resumed the search operation in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district on the third day on Thursday to locate 34 people who went missing after cloudbursts and heavy rain triggered massive landslides and flash floods.

The India Meteorological Department has predicted a moderate flash flood risk in Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, Shimla, Sirmaur and Solan districts till Friday.

Amid heavy rain and broken roads, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team on Wednesday set an example of courage and dedication by carrying a pregnant woman in a palanquin for miles to reach a hospital in the Thunag area in Mandi district.

Torrential rain on Tuesday caused severe flooding, washing away 14 bridges, 148 houses and two shops, resulting in 11 deaths, largely in Mandi district. The death toll could rise as the survival of the missing people after more than 48 hours of disaster is getting dim.

A total of 157 people have been housed in five relief camps, the HP State Emergency Operation Centre said.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Wednesday visited Syathi village, which is located in the Laungani panchayat in Dharampur in Mandi, where he met families affected by a cloudburst, listened to their woes, shared grief and also reviewed relief and rehabilitation operations.

The district administration has provided assistance of Rs 1.70 lakh as financial aid, ration, tarpaulins and other relief material to each household.

Speaking to the affected families, the Chief Minister said the government stands firmly with all the affected and assured them of all possible assistance.

Recalling the frightening incident, villagers narrated their sorrows and said that the entire village was swept away all of a sudden, and they now do not have a place left to pitch even the tents for shelter.

“Many of us narrowly escaped death and were eyewitnesses to the horrifying incident,” a local resident told the Chief Minister.

--IANS

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