Himachal Pradesh: Cloudburst, landslide at temple kill 16 people
As many as seven individuals reportedly lost their lives, while several remain missing after a cloudburst incident at Jadon village in the Solan district of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday night. Separately, nine more people died in a landslide incident at a Shiv Temple in the Summer Hill area of Shimla that was triggered by relentless rainfall in the Himalayan state, as per NDTV.
2 houses, 1 cowshed washed away after cloudburst: Kandaghat SDM
Providing an update on the situation, Kandaghat Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Siddhartha Acharya confirmed the cloudburst incident was reported in Jadon, which also resulted in two houses and one cowshed being washed away. "Five people died, three missing, and five were rescued after an incident of cloudburst was reported at Jadon village of Kandaghat subdivision in Solan," ANI earlier quoted Acharya as saying.
Visuals from Solan's Jadon village
Himachal CM's reaction to cloudburst tragedy
Reacting to the tragedy, Congress leader and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu took to X (formerly Twitter) and conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims. Furthermore, the CM also revealed that he had directed the local authorities to ensure complete assistance to the families of the victims in the cloudburst incident.
My heartfelt condolences to grieving families: Sukhu
"Devastated to hear about the loss of seven precious lives in the tragic cloud burst incident at Village Jadon, Dhawla Sub-Tehsil in Solan District. My heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving families," the Himachal CM tweeted. "We have directed the authorities to ensure all possible assistance and support to the affected families during this trying period," he added.
Check out Sukhu's post on incident
9 bodies recovered from Shimla temple's debris: CM Sukhu
In another X post, Sukhu stated nine bodies were recovered from the Shimla temple's debris following a landslide. "Distressing news has emerged from Shimla, where the 'Shiv Mandir' at Summer Hill collapsed. As of now, nine bodies have been retrieved," he said. "The local administration is diligently working to clear the debris in order to rescue individuals who may still be trapped," Sukhu added.
Himachal CM's reaction to Shiv Mandir collapse
Sukhu visits Summer Hill area to assess situation
Sukhu also visited the landslide-hit Summer Hill area to assess the situation. He told ANI, "Twenty to 25 people are trapped under debris here (Summer Hill). Twenty-one people dead in the last 24 hours in the state." "I appeal to people to stay indoors, to not venture near rivers and landslide-prone areas. Restoration works will begin as soon as rain stops," he added.
You can watch Sukhu's address to media here
Schools, colleges to remain closed in Himachal on Monday
Amid the ongoing heavy downpours, Himachal Education Secretary Abhishek Jain earlier issued a notification to keep all private and government schools and colleges closed on Monday in view of the safety of the students. According to The Times of India, Sukhu also instructed the chief secretary, home secretary, and all deputy collectors to stay vigilant on the situation amid the rainfall.
IMD issues red alert in Himachal: Know more
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has reportedly issued a "red alert" for Himachal Pradesh for Monday. As per IMD Shimla, moderate rain is likely over Bilaspur, Shimla, Hamirpur, Kullu, Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur, Una, Solan, Kinnaur, and Lahaul and Spiti. It also forecasted very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall in parts of Ranjit Sagar, Beas, and the Pong Dam area.
