Himachal: 4 dead in flash floods triggered by cloudburst

Four persons including three members of a family were feared dead as flash floods triggered by a cloudburst wrecked havoc in Dharampur area of Mandi district, 250 kilometre from Shimla, on Saturday morning, inundating vast areas, washing away vehicles and blocking over 100 roads in the region.

Three members of a family were feared to have been buried alive after their house collapsed due to a landslide while a sadhu was washed away in the gushing water of swollen Son Khud, a tributary of Beas river, police said.

About a dozen people waiting at Dharampur bus stand, had to rush to the first floor as Son Khud water entered the bus stand, inundating shops and houses, they said.

Three buses, over four dozen houses and shops were washed away, while half a dozen light vehicles were swept away in the floods, police said.

Heavy rains flooded several areas in Dharamsala, Kangra, Sujanpur, Sundernagar and other places. National Highway 88 was blocked at two places, while over 100 link roads were blocked in Mandi, Kullu, Chamba, Shimla and Kangra districts due to major landslides, police said.

All major rivers and their tributaries in the state are in spate and people living along the river banks have been asked to remain vigilant by the authorities and take necessary precautions.

Local MLA Mohinder Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party leader P K Dhumal said that five persons have died in floods but the local administration confirmed only three persons were buried alive.

The local weather office has warned of heavy rains at some places on Sunday along with rains and thunderstorms in lower, mid and higher hills of the state over the next six days.

Sundernagar in Mandi district was the wettest in the region with 162 mm rains, while Sarkaghat and Dharamshala recorded 135 mm and 121 mm rains, according to MeT officials.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has directed all the deputy commissioners, Police, Home Guards and all departments concerned to be vigilant in the wake of heavy rainfall and incidents of recent landslides and flash floods in the state.

Terming the flash flood incident of Dharampur in Mandi district as unfortunate, he directed the district administration to carry out adequate measures in providing relief and rescue to the people of the area and to compensate the affected as per relief manual.

He said that it was distressing that the public property in Dharampur suffered heavy loss due to floods in Son river following heavy rainfall.

He directed the district administration to sound an alarm for the people, warning them against venturing to go near the banks of swollen river beds, rivulets or nullah.

Image: Flooded Dharampur market and bus station after a cloud burst in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. Photograph: PTI