SHIMLA: The search for 34 missing persons entered its third day in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, where relentless rainfall, cloudbursts, and flash floods have unleashed large-scale devastation. Rescue teams continue to battle challenging weather and damaged terrain in their race against time.
Massive landslides and sudden flooding triggered by torrential rains on Tuesday have already claimed 11 lives—most of them in Mandi district. As the clock ticks past 48 hours since the disaster, hopes of finding the missing alive are fading.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a moderate flash flood alert for six districts—Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, Shimla, Sirmaur, and Solan—valid till Friday. Weather conditions remain grim, with intermittent rain complicating ongoing relief and rescue efforts.
In a heartwarming act of bravery amidst the chaos, an SDRF team carried a pregnant woman for several kilometers in a palanquin through the flooded Thunag area of Mandi, ensuring she received timely medical assistance despite broken roads and inhospitable terrain.
The scale of destruction is staggering. At least 14 bridges and 148 houses have been washed away, along with two shops. According to the Himachal Pradesh State Emergency Operation Centre, 157 people have been shifted to five temporary relief camps.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu visited the worst-hit Syathi village in Laungani panchayat under Dharampur block, where he interacted with families devastated by the cloudburst. He offered condolences, reviewed ongoing relief measures, and promised full government support to help rebuild their lives.
The district administration has begun distributing emergency aid—₹1.70 lakh per household along with ration, tarpaulins, and other essential supplies. Villagers, however, painted a heartbreaking picture of the destruction.
“The entire village vanished in minutes. We have no place left to even set up tents,” one survivor told the Chief Minister. Others shared harrowing accounts of how they narrowly escaped, watching helplessly as homes and lives were swept away.
With monsoon still active and fresh warnings from the IMD, the situation remains tense. Relief efforts continue round-the-clock as the state battles one of the worst natural disasters in recent memory.
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