Cloudburst Devastates Mandi: Kills 3, 30 Still Missing in Himachal
Mandi (The Uttam Hindu): Cloudburst incidents in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh on Monday night and Tuesday early morning have caused massive destruction. The incidents in Karsog, Seraj and Dharampur sub-divisions have completely disrupted normal life. Three people have died in Karsog, while more than 30 people are missing. Many houses, cowsheds and vehicles have been destroyed by being buried under the debris. More than 10 houses and cowsheds were washed away and 5 animals died in Laungni village of Dharampur. There has been heavy damage to agriculture and electricity and communication services have also been badly affected.
Cloudburst wreaks havoc in Himachal's Mandi, three dead, 30 people missing; many houses damaged : Kithapur -Manali four-lane has been completely closed due to landslide. Hundreds of people are trapped in tunnels and roads. The administration has provided them with water. Police and SDRF teams have rescued 12 people from Raghunath Ashram (Padhar). Deputy Commissioner Mandi Apurv Devgan said that special relief teams have been deployed and the affected people are being taken to safer places.
Due to the rising water level in the Beas river, the gates of Larji and Pandoh dams had to be opened. Power generation of Larji and Dahr projects has been temporarily stopped. Excess water has also been released from Kol Dam. The administration has declared a day's holiday in all schools and colleges of Mandi district. The Meteorological Department has issued an alert of heavy rain for the next 48 hours.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has expressed concern over the situation in Mandi and has given instructions to provide immediate relief to the affected. 9 people have also been reported to have been swept away from Syaz in Kullu district. The administration has appealed to the people to vacate the low-lying areas and move to safer places.