Himachal Cloudburst: Rescue Efforts Ongoing To Trace 45 Missing People

Rescue efforts continued Friday to locate more than 45 individuals reported missing after flash floods, caused by cloudbursts, affected three districts in Himachal Pradesh. Meanwhile, 29 people who had been stranded at a power project site were successfully evacuated overnight, according to officials. 

Cloudbursts in the Nirmand, Sainj, and Malana areas of Kullu, as well as Padhar in Mandi and Rampur in Shimla districts on Wednesday, resulted in five fatalities and left over 45 individuals missing.  

Rescue Operations In Kullu 

At least 33 people were trapped at the Malana II power project in the Manikaran area of Kullu district, reported PTI. Deputy Commissioner Kullu, Torul S Raveesh, informed that out of those 29 have been rescued. 

Heavy rains damaged a wall and access to a tunnel, allowing water to enter the barrage. Despite these challenges, NDRF and home guard teams successfully rescued 29 people, though four individuals remain inside the powerhouse.  

Relatives of the missing are actively campaigning at the scene.  

Rescue operations involve the Army, NDRF, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, State Disaster Response Force, police, and home guards, with drones being used to help locate those still missing, according to officials. 

Rampur Subdivision: Worst Hit 

The cloudburst near Shrikhand Mahadev on Wednesday night caused severe flash floods in the Samej area of Rampur subdivision, Shimla district, affecting Sarpara, Ganvi, and Kurban nallahs. This led to a rise in the water level of Samej Khud, resulting in two deaths and about 30 people missing, according to Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi.  

The floods have wreaked havoc across Shimla and Kullu districts, destroying over 20 houses, six shops, and several bridges, and disrupting road connectivity in the affected areas. 

The monsoon fury have claimed at least 73 lives so far, in rain-related incidents, the state has also suffered losses to the tune of Rs 649 crore, according to the state's Emergency Operation Centre.

(With inputs from PTI)