New Delhi (TIP)- At least 33 people were killed, several injured and over 50 are missing following several rain-related incidents in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh where rain washed away many houses, bridges and roads. The death toll in Himachal Pradesh rose up to seven on Friday following a cloudburst in several areas of Kullu district. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is expected to visit the affected areas today. Over 50 people are missing following the incident.
Authorities recovered seven bodies of missing persons – three each in Shimla and Mandi and one in Kullu. With many missing, rescuers raced against time, scrambling through uprooted trees and collapsed buildings to look for survivors.
Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local administration have been deployed in the affected areas of the state to retrieve bodies.
A total of 35 people have been rescued at various places. Officials are using drones to locate missing persons.
Meanwhile, several state and national highways have been blocked by the landslides. The Manali-Chandigarh National Highway has been damaged at several places due to landslides, an official said. A breach was also reported in Malana Dam in Kullu, but the situation is under control, the officials said.
The Indian Army has established a control centre at Jhakeri, working alongside the state government’s control centre under the District Collector of Shimla. Around 20 houses have been completely washed away and buried under boulders and debris.
The strong water flow in the Nala and its confluence with the Satluj River is hampering rescue work. Rescue operations were halted at 5 pm due to heavy rains and started at 7 am with the use of earth-moving equipment.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh said that rescue and relief operations are in full swing and he would visit the areas that are most affected . Source: PTI