Lagatar24 Desk
Shimla: A catastrophic cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh has wreaked havoc, wiping out the entire village of Samej, leaving only one house standing amidst the ruins. The heart-wrenching stories of the survivors illustrate the scale of the disaster and the profound human loss.
Anita Devi, a resident of Samej village, shared her traumatic experience. “On Wednesday night, while my family and I were asleep, a loud bang shook our house,” Anita recounted. “When we looked outside, the entire village had been washed away. We fled to the village’s Bhagwati Kali Mata temple and spent the entire night there.” Her voice was thick with emotion as she described the ordeal. “Only our house survived the devastation, but everything else was swept away before my eyes. Now, I don’t know who I should stay with.”
In another poignant account, Bakhshi Ram, an elderly resident, revealed his own tragic loss. “My family members, around 14 to 15 people, were swept away in the flood. I received news of the flood at 2 am and was in Rampur at the time, so I survived. When I arrived here at 4 am, everything was destroyed. Now, I am searching for my loved ones, hoping that someone is still alive,” he said, tears streaming down his face.
According to the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), 53 people remain missing, and six bodies have been recovered as of Saturday. The cloudburst and subsequent flash floods have caused extensive damage across the Kullu, Mandi, and Shimla regions of Himachal Pradesh.
Special Secretary DC Rana of the DDMA reported that over sixty houses were washed away, severely impacting several villages. “Restoration works are underway in Rampur, where the cloudburst and following flash floods damaged a road that connected Rampur and Samej regions,” Rana said.
The community is now grappling with the aftermath of the disaster, struggling to find shelter, recover their belongings, and locate their missing loved ones. As restoration efforts continue, the stories of Anita Devi and Bakhshi Ram serve as poignant reminders of the fragility of life and the resilience of those who survive such tragedies.
