Himachal Cloudburst In Pics: 5 Killed, 50 Missing As Heavy Rains Wreak Havoc

Five individuals lost their lives and approximately 50 are missing after several cloudburst incidents in Himachal Pradesh, which resulted in the destruction of numerous houses, bridges, and roads, according to officials on Thursday. The cloudbursts occurred in the areas of Nirmand, Sainj, and Malana in Kullu, Padhar in Mandi, and Rampur in Shimla districts.

The local Meteorological office has issued a "red alert" for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning in isolated locations across the Kangra, Kullu, and Mandi districts for Thursday.

A cloudburst near Shrikhand Mahadev on Wednesday night led to flash floods in Sarpara, Ganvi, and Kurban streams, causing the water level in Samej Khud in Shimla district's Rampur subdivision to rise.

The Shimla-Junga route is shut down following a landslide, with reports of vehicles trapped under debris in Rajnagar, within the Churah assembly constituency of Chamba. Moreover, road obstructions have been reported in the Hamirpur district.

The landslide caused damage to vehicles parked on the roadside due to falling of trees.

A recent cloudburst in Rajban village, close to Terang in Mandi district's Padhar subdivision, resulted in three fatalities and seven people missing on Wednesday night. Officials reported that two houses were swept away and another sustained damage.

Bodies of Chandi Devi (75), Chaitri Devi (90) and Baijru Ram (80) have been recovered and an injured person (25-year-old Ram Singh) has been rescued in serious condition, the officials added

The cloudburst claimed two lives and approximately 30 people missing. Rescue teams have saved four individuals. The operations are difficult due to the destruction of roads.

A cloudburst in Kullu district has resulted in seven people going missing. "In the Bhagipul area of Nirmand block within Kullu district, approximately eight to nine houses have been swept away. The CISF and a special Home Guard quick response team have been deployed to search for the missing individuals," stated Torul S Raveesh, Deputy Commissioner of Kullu, to PTI. Additionally, three people are missing, and three to four houses have sustained damage in Samej, located at the Shimla district border. Although a breach has occurred in the Malana Dam, the situation is currently stable. There are individuals trapped within the Malana I hydropower project; however, they are safe in underground structures. Efforts by the NDRF and Home Guard teams to rescue them are ongoing," she added. The Deputy Commissioner also noted that the Manali-Chandigarh National Highway has suffered multiple breaches due to landslides and the surging waters of the Beas River. Consequently, all educational institutions and schools in the district will remain closed for two days.

The dam of Power Project 1 in Malana has burst due to the rising water levels in rivers and streams from last night's heavy rains. This has caused a severe flood in the Parvati River, and an alert has been issued for residents around Bhuntar.