Himachal Pradesh: Rescue operations underway to locate 45 missing after cloudburst

Rescue efforts were in progress on Friday to locate over 45 individuals missing due to flash floods caused by cloudbursts in three Himachal Pradesh districts. Meanwhile, officials reported that 29 people stranded at a power project site in the state were safely evacuated overnight.

Cloudbursts in Nirmand, Sainj and Malana areas in Kullu, Padhar in Mandi and Rampur in Shimla districts on Wednesday had left five people dead and over 45 missing.

Thirty-three people were also stuck in Malana II power project in Manikaran area of Kullu district. Deputy Commissioner Kullu, Torul S Raveesh, said 29 out of the 33 have been rescued.

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Rescue Teams Evacuate 29 from Damaged Power House in Himachal Pradesh

A wall and way to a tunnel was damaged due to rains and water entered the barrage but the teams of the NDRF and home guard managed to rescue 29 people, while four persons are still in the power house.

The relatives of the missing people are campaigning at the spot and the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police, State Disaster Response Force, police and home guards are involved in the rescue operations and the help of drones is being taken to locate the missing persons, officials added.

Severe Damage in Samej Area of Rampur Subdivision Due to Flash Floods

The worst damage occurred in the Samej area of Rampur subdivision in Shimla district after a cloudburst near Shrikhand Mahadev on Wednesday night led to flash floods in Sarpara, Ganvi, and Kurban nallahs. Water levels in Samej Khud surged, causing two fatalities and leaving around 30 people missing, according to Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi. The search area spans about 100 kilometers, including some inaccessible regions, and drones are being used to aid in locating the missing individuals. Senior citizen Nali Ram, who escaped with his family, described the scene, saying he heard the roar of rising water and discovered his surroundings inundated. The flooding has caused significant disruption in Shimla and Kullu districts.

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