Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Twenty people have gone missing following a devastating cloudburst in Shimla’s Rampur district. Early today, the district administration reported the incident near the Samej Khad hydroelectric power project.
A disaster response team has been dispatched to the site, with Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap and district police chief Sanjeev Gandhi en route. Mr. Kashyap confirmed, “According to the information we received, about 20 people are missing from the area affected by the cloudburst.”
The cloudburst has disrupted road connectivity, forcing rescue teams to hike to the affected area.
In Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, about 125 km from Shimla, cloudbursts have also caused significant damage. Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan issued an order stating that cloudbursts in Rajban village near Muhal Terang have led to road blockades and landslides. Consequently, all educational institutions and vocational training centers in the Padhar subdivision will remain closed for safety.
The monsoon has similarly impacted neighboring Uttarakhand. In Tehri Garhwal district, a cloudburst in Jakhanyali resulted in two fatalities and one injury. The deceased have been identified as Bhanu Prasad (50) and Anita Devi (45). A State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) spokesperson reported that three people were initially missing. During the search, two bodies were recovered, and an injured person was found in a 200-meter-deep ditch and rescued.
In Haridwar, heavy rainfall caused a dilapidated house’s roof to collapse, killing two children and injuring nine others. The victims were identified as Aas Mohammed (10) and Nagma (8). District Magistrate Dhiraj Singh Garbyal stated that three of the injured are in critical condition, while the others are stable but hospitalized. “The heavy rain caused the old house to collapse,” he added.