Shimla, Aug 7 (PTI) Intermittent rain lashed parts of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, while Rampur in Shimla witnessed a cloudburst that triggered flash floods in the area.
Landslides in several parts of
the state resulted in the closure of 454 roads, including two national highways.
The cloudburst at Darshal occurred late Wednesday night, causing flash floods in the Teklech market. No casualties were reported, as nearby houses had already been evacuated due to the threat of flooding, officials noted.
In Shimla, a tree fell on the office building of the science and technology department at the US Club, damaging part of the roof along with a vehicle.
The electricity supply was disrupted in several areas of the city due to downed power lines and uprooted trees. Restoration teams were deployed to restore power at the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Broukhast, Strawberry Hills, Bemloi, and The Mall Road.
As a result of the flooding and landslides, a total of 454 roads were closed to vehicular traffic, including the Old Hindustan-Tibet Road (NH 5) and the Aut-Sainj road (NH 305). The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway (NH 21) reopened after nearly 40 hours on Thursday afternoon.
Among the closed roads, 245 were in Mandi, while 118 were in the neighbouring Kullu district, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).
Meanwhile, the 14th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) engaged in recovering the body of a devotee who slipped from a cliff near Ganesh Gufa on the Kinnaur Kailash route on Wednesday.
The body was retrieved on Thursday after a five-hour trek through treacherous terrain and adverse weather conditions, located approximately 14,000 feet above sea level. The rescue team found the body nearly 350 feet down a steep, rocky slope and conducted a retrieval operation.
Officials confirmed that the body was handed over to local authorities for further legal formalities. The deceased is yet to be identified.
The meteorological office on Thursday issued an orange alert of heavy to very heavy rains at isolated places in districts of Una, Kangra, Mandi, Solan and Sirmaur on Sunday, and in Una, Bilaspur, Kangra, Kullu and Mandi on Monday. Moderate to heavy rain continued to lash parts of the state.
Around 108 people have died in rain-related incidents this monsoon, so far, while 37 are still missing. Additionally, 861 transformers and 244 water supply schemes have been affected, the SEOC said.
Since the onset of monsoon on June 20, Himachal Pradesh has incurred losses totalling Rs 1,952 crore and has experienced 58 flash floods, 30 cloudbursts, and 51 major landslides thus far. PTI BPL MPL MPL
