Shimla: Nearly 21 people have died in Himachal Pradesh in the past 48 hours after heavy rains wreaked havoc in the state. At least 9 people died in the temple collapse incident and more than 20 people are feared trapped in Shimla. Notably, a fresh spell of rain has triggered landslides, causing large-scale devastation in the state. Moreover, Himachal is bracing for more showers as the weather office has predicted heavy rain over the next two days.
What Triggered Rain Fury in Himachal, Uttarakhand
The IMD said the heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the past two days are the result of a fresh spell of Western Disturbance.
Giving further details, the IMD said the location of the Monsoon trough lies along the foothills of Himalayas and hence the South-westerly Arabian Sea monsoonal winds are hitting the Himalayan foothills.
What is Western Disturbance?
For the unversed, a Western Disturbance refers to a cyclonic storm that begins in the Mediterranean and brings heavy rain to mountain areas in the Indian subcontinent.
In the wake of the multiple incidents of landslides, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu appealed to people to stay indoors and said efforts to restore connectivity at the earliest are being made.
Heavy Rains in Uttarakhand
Heavy rains have also caused massive loss of properties in Uttarakhand. A video on social media showing floodwaters washing away a multi-storeyed college building has gone viral.
The disaster control room in Dehradun said that Alaknanda, Mandakini and Ganga rivers are flowing above the danger level at Rudraprayag, Shrinagar and Devprayag. Because of the landslides, the Badrinath National highway is blocked at several places.
The fresh spell of rain caused large-scale devastation as these two hill states were limping back to normalcy following the monsoon fury a month back that led to a huge loss of life and property.
What Happened In Shimla?
At least nine people died and several others are feared trapped under the debris of a temple, which collapsed in Shimla after being hit by a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall on Monday.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed his condolences over the deaths and said efforts are underway to rescue the people trapped under the debris of the collapsed temple in the Summer Hill area.
“As of now, nine bodies have been retrieved. The local administration is diligently working to clear the debris in order to rescue individuals who may still be trapped,” the Himachal Pradesh chief minister said in a post on the ‘X’ app (formerly known as Twitter.
Sukhu along with state minister Vikramaditya Singh also visited the site of the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
“Twenty to 25 people are trapped under debris here. A total of 21 people have died 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 work will begin as soon as rain stops,” the chief minister said.
State Minister Vikramaditya Singh said that some bodies have been retrieved from under the debris of the temple in Summer Hill.
“Ten to 15 people are still buried under the debris. All efforts are being made to safely rescue people,” Singh said.
Seven Dead in Himachal’s Solan
Earlier, seven people were killed in an incident of cloudburst reported at Jadon village of Kandaghat subdivision in Solan district of the state according to Siddhartha Acharya, Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Kandaghat. Two houses and one cowshed also got washed away in the incident.
Chief Minister Sukhu expressed condolences over the deaths and directed authorities to ensure all possible assistance and support.
“Devastated to hear about the loss of 7 precious lives in the tragic cloudburst incident at village Jadon, Dhawla Sub Tehsil in Solan district heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving families. We share in your pain and sorrow during this difficult time. We have directed the authorities to ensure all possible assistance and support to the affected families during this trying period,” CM Sukhu posted on the ‘X’ app.
Incessant showers in Himachal Pradesh over the past 24 hours have triggered landslides, blocking several roads, including the Shimla-Chandigarh road which was closed for buses and trucks.
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