Monsoon fury: Death toll in Himachal Pradesh climbs to 60
The death toll in Himachal Pradesh due to heavy rains rose to 60 on Tuesday after a fresh landslide in Shimla's Krishna Nagar locality caused several houses to collapse and killed two people. Six people have died in rain-related incidents in Uttarakhand, while seven are still missing. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for both hill states until Wednesday.
Over 800 rescued from low-lying areas
Two more bodies were pulled out of the rubble of a Shiva temple in Shimla on Tuesday, which collapsed on Monday following a cloudburst. Rescuers feared 10 more bodies were still trapped under the rubble. Over 800 people were rescued from low-lying areas near the Pong Dam in Kangra district as the water level rose in the reservoir, cutting off access to their villages.
CM Sukhu ordered restoration of electricity, water supply
Reportedly, Himachal Pradesh received nearly 157% excess rainfall in the last few days, causing heavy damage across the state. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu chaired a review meeting and directed officials to swiftly restore the electricity and water supply affected by the rain.
Bridge collapsed in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag
A bridge also collapsed in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag, and rescue operations were underway to save those stranded. A building collapsed in Helang on Tuesday. Three people were rescued from under the rubble, while four others were feared trapped. Meanwhile, five families were moved to relief camps after cracks widened in subsidence-hit Joshimath. Officials acknowledged that subsidence had worsened during the monsoon.
Beas River in spate leaves many stranded
Furthermore, the swollen Beas River stranded many people in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra and in neighboring Punjab's Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur districts. On the occasion of Independence Day on Tuesday, Punjab chief minister handed over compensation cheques to the victims of the recent flood. Floods in Punjab and neighboring Haryana affected thousands of villages and crops, forcing farmers to replant amid heavy losses.
Over 75,000 affected due to floods in Assam
Separately, floods in Assam have claimed the lives of at least 12 people and affected more than 75,000 people, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) reported. At least four major rivers in the state, including the Brahmaputra, Dikhou, and Disang, were flowing above the danger mark. The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall in all northeastern states until Thursday.
