Shimla, June 26 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh witnessed nature’s fury yesterday as cloudbursts at five locations—four in Kullu and one in Kangra—triggered flash floods, resulting in loss of life and widespread destruction.
Two deaths have been confirmed, and nine people remain missing as rescue operations continue across the affected areas.
In Kullu district, cloudbursts occurred at Jiva Nala (Sainj), Shilagarh (Gadsa), Snow Gallery (Manali), and Horangarh (Banjar), while Kangra's Khaniyara locality near Dharamshala also faced devastation due to a sudden cloudburst in Manuni Khad.
Over 15–20 labourers staying in a shed were swept away by the torrent, with six persons still unaccounted for, according to Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa.
Among the missing are two residents of Uttar Pradesh, three from Nurpur, and one from Shamshi. Two bodies have been recovered, and one person reportedly fled towards the forest and is being traced.
Meanwhile, three persons are still missing in Raila Bihal of Sainj in Kullu. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police have launched extensive search operations in both districts.
Over 2,000 tourists are stranded in Tirthan Valley, Jibhi, Shangarh, Shoja, Kasol, and the Sainj Valley due to blocked roads. While all tourists are safe in hotels and homestays, the district administration has begun evacuating them after partial road restoration.
A similar rescue effort was undertaken in Spiti where tourists were moved to shelters following road closures.
The deluge washed away more than eight vehicles—at least half a dozen confirmed to be tourist vehicles—and caused damage to a school, a Patwar circle office, a Gaushala, four houses, a power project, and over 10 small bridges.
An HRTC bus and hundreds of bus routes in tribal and remote districts have been affected, severely disrupting transportation.
Koldam authorities have announced the release of water at noon today, expected to raise the Sutlej river level by 4–5 metres. Locals have been warned to avoid riverbanks.
The Met Department has issued an orange alert for heavy rainfall in 10 districts, including Kangra, Kullu, and Shimla, with similar warnings for June 29 and 30.
UNI ML ARN