Toll in Mandi cloudbursts rises to 11
Shimla: The death toll from cloudbursts and flash flood-related incidents in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh has risen to 11 with the recovery of six additional bodies. The search for 34 missing people is underway, officials said on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the weather department has warned of low to moderate flash-flood risk in parts of five districts of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Shimla in the next 24 hours.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who visited the disaster-hit Syathi village of Laungani Panchayat in Dharampur, announced a special relief package to assist in rebuilding damaged homes. Additionally, enhanced compensation will be provided for lost livestock and destroyed cow shelters.
The state witnessed 11 cloudburst incidents, four flash floods and a major landslide on Tuesday, most of which occurred in Mandi district, disrupting normal life.
Cloudbursts were recorded in four locations in Gohar, three in Karsog, two in Dharampur, and one in Thunag, Mandi.
Two bodies were recovered in Siyanj, Gohar, and one each in Thunag, Dhar Jarol, and Pandeev Sheel areas, while one body was recovered from Neri-Kotla in Jogindernagar, officials said. The identities of the deceased have not yet been disclosed.
On Tuesday, two deaths were recorded in Bada and one in Talwara, both in Gohar; one person died in Old Bazaar, Karsog; and another body was recovered at Neri-Kotla in Jogindernagar.
A total of 245 roads were closed in the state following heavy rains, and 918 transformers and 683 water schemes were disrupted.
Most of the damage was caused in Mandi, where 151 roads were blocked for vehicular movement and 489 transformers and 465 water schemes were affected as of Wednesday evening, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).
Additionally, 148 houses, 104 cattle sheds, 31 vehicles, 14 bridges and several roads were damaged. A total of 162 cattle perished in the events, while 370 people, including 316 in Mandi, were rescued and 11 remain stranded, the SEOC added.
