One person was killed and 13 others were feared dead in a landslide and a flash flood triggered by heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, officials said on Saturday.
Widespread moderate to heavy rains wreaked havoc in Himachal triggering flash floods and landslides at several places in Mandi, Kangra, Chamba and Shimla districts. Two persons have been killed, while 15 are missing in flash floods. HRTC bus stand submerged in Mandi district. 15 persons are missing following flash floods in two locations (Shegli and Kashang villages) in Mandi district while two bodies have been recovered.The administration was facing difficulty to access flood affected Shelgi village where road was blocked from both sides.
Deputy Commissioner Mandi Arindam Chaudhary said that around 15 people are missing in different flash flood incidents in Mandi. The administration is collecting the details and trying to provide assistance. Crops and agricultural land were also damaged.The HRTC bus stand at Dharampur has been submerged in water. A temple of Lord Shiva and a Satsang Bhawan was submerged in river water at Kandapatan under Dharampur subdivision of Mandi.Mandi-Kullu road via-Kataula was blocked since Friday night due to landslides in the area. Landslides were also witnessed on Chandigarh-Manali highway between Mandi and Kullu due to heavy rains.Several roads are blocked in Kangra district as rivers are on spate. The building of Rajiv Gandhi Engineering college in Nagorta Bagwan has been evacuated and students have been shifted to safer places as the water entered the building after flash flood in local rivulet.The road leading from Dharamsala to Kangra is blocked again following a landslide near Mid Way hotel. Railway bridge over the Chaki river on the borders of Punjab and Himachal in Kangra district was washed away on Saturday morning. The sources available here said that a flash flood in river Chaki washed away the weakened pillar of the bridge.The entire narrow gauge train service between Pathankot and Jogindernagar would remain suspended till a new pillar of the bridge was constructed and the railway line was restored.Bridge between Majhiwar and Manju in Sunni was washed away and landslide near Aanandpur blocked Shoghi-Mehli bypass road in Shimla blocked.The local MeT office had issued yellow warning of heavy rainfall, thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places in low and mid hills on August 20 and 21.
