22 People Die In Flash Floods & Landslides In Himachal Pradesh

Shimla: As many as 22 people, including eight members of a family, were killed and six feared dead in incidents of landslide and flash flood triggered by heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh since Friday.

Ten people were injured, state Disaster Management Department Director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta said on Saturday.

The maximum damage has been reported from Mandi, Kangra and Chamba districts, he said, adding that so far 36 weather-related incidents have been reported from the state.

As many as 743 roads, including the Manali-Chandigarh national highway at Mandi and the Shimla-Chandigath highway at Shoghi have been blocked for traffic, he added.

Bodies of eight members of a family were retrieved from the debris of their house after a four-hour-long search operation by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and police at Kashan village in Gohar development block, he added. The house collapsed in a landslide.

Instructions were also given to all districts to close educational institutions in the landslide and flood-affected areas and to set up camps in schools and community centers to provide temporary shelter to the affected people.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has expressed concern over loss of lives and properties due to the torrential rains in various parts of the state and also asked the locals as well as the tourists to stay away from landslide-prone areas and riversides to avert any mishap.