Over 60 dead as heavy rainfall continues in Himachal; Shimla, Mandi worst-hit: Updates

Amid incessant rainfall which triggered cloudbursts, landslides and road blocks, over 60 people have died in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand as the operations continue to rescue injured citizens and vehicles from under the debris.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that isolated but heavy rainfall is likely to continue over Himachal Pradesh in the next two days and over Uttarakhand and northeast India in the next 4-5 days.

Due to the heavy rainfall, the water levels of Delhi’s Yamuna river breached the danger mark, for the second time this year, on Tuesday.

Here are the top updates:

Over 800 people have been evacuated from the low-lying areas of Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra near the Pong Dam. The evacuation process was a result of increased water level in the Dam due to incessant rainfall.

Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu tweeted on Wednesday, “More than 800 people were evacuated from the low-lying areas of Kangra near the Pong Dam, as their villages became inaccessible due to the elevated water level in the dam reservoir. Evacuation operation is still on as more people are being evacuated.”

Schools have been ordered shut in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday due to heavy rainfall. The state’s Education Department issued an order on Tuesday stating, “Whereas, weather conditions in most parts of Himachal Pradesh are still inclement; & whereas, it is being felt that it worrld be in the interest of Student’s safety that school/colleges remain closed for another 1 day. Therefore, considering the above, the Government of Himachal Pradesh orders to keep all Schools & Colleges (Government as well as Private) closed on dated 16th August, 2023.”

One person was killed and five others were rescued after a building collapsed at Helang near Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district late on Tuesday evening. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said they pulled one body from the rubble and search was on to rescue another person buried under the debris.

The monsoon trough, an elongated low-pressure area that was to the north of its normal position, causing heavy rainfall over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, has gradually started moving south, the IMD said on Tuesday.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday airlifted 18 army soldiers in a single flight in Shimla. The Air Force said, “A Chinook helicopter of Western Air Command airlifted 18 Indian Army personnel and a 3-Ton Mini Dozer in a single sortie for rescue efforts in areas affected by landslides near Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla today.”

Around five to 10 people are feared trapped after several buildings, including houses and a slaughterhouse, on Tuesday crumbled down in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla in instance of landslide due to continous rainfall. Locals in the area were moved to safety.

Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhu on Tuesday held a meeting with High Power Committee for natural disaster management. He said that a 157 per cent surge in rainfall over the past four days has resulted in extensive damage across the entire state.

While over 60 people have died in Himachal due to the incessant rainfall of the past few days, as per official estimates, 52 people died due to rain-related incidents in Uttarakhand this monsoon and around 37 sustained injuries.

As per Chamoli police in Uttarakhand, the Badrinath National Highway has been blocked at Pipalkoti, Gadora, Navodaya Vidyalaya Pipalkoti, Gulabkoti, Pagalnala and Vishnuprayag areas of the Chamoli district.