Several roads closed due to floods in the state, National Highway including Manali and Shimla also disrupted
This story has been updated
Forty people have lost their lives in the last 36 hours in Himachal Pradesh due to landslides caused by heavy rains, according to the state government. The toll is expected to rise as many more people are feared to be trapped under debris.
Reports of loss of life and property have come in from the districts of Shimla, Solan and Mandi. Nine bodies were recovered in state capital Shimla on the morning of August 14, 2023, after a landslide swept a Shiva temple in the Summerhill neighbourhood of the city.
The administration has, however, estimated that some 20-25 people were trapped in debris when the landslide struck. This means the death toll could rise. The number of devotees who had come to the temple was much more than usual as August 14 is the last day of the month of Shravana, one of the holiest months of the Hindu calender.
Besides Shimla, seven people died in a house in Jadon village of Solan district due to heavy rains. Apart from this, two people lost their lives in Arki village of Solan district due to falling debris.
Heavy rains on August 13 damaged fields and houses in the Nerchowk and Sundernagar areas of Mandi district.
Some 270 people have lost their lives this monsoon in Himachal Pradesh. Property worth more than Rs 7,000 crore has been damaged in the state.
An alert was issued by the India Meteorological Department regarding heavy rains in the state on August 13 and 14. Another alert has now been sounded for August 15, 16 and 17.
The scene at Summerville, Shimla. Photo: Rohit Prashar
According to the data released by the Meteorological Department, record rainfall has been recorded in different areas of the state in the last 24 hours.
Some 273 millimetres (mm) of rain has been recorded in Kangra, 254 mm in Sujanpur, 250 mm in Dharamshala, 175 mm in Jogindernagar, 168 mm in Sundernagar and 126 mm in Shimla.
Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said the rains that occurred last month had caused heavy damage to property in Himachal Pradesh. But this time, many lives have been lost.
He added that the police, National Disaster Response Force, army and administration are working together to rescue the people affected by the disaster and the work of providing relief to the affected is going on on a war footing.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Photo: Rohit Prashar.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.