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Flash flood in Kullu claims life, leaves 3 injured
Nine vehicles swept away, house damaged and road connectivity snapped at Kayas village in Raison area of Kullu; livestock casualty due to unseasonal cold and snow in Spiti’s Pin Valley; school holidays extended
Strap: Nine vehicles also swept away and road connectivity was snapped at Kayas village in Raison area; school holidays extended
A man was killed and three others travelling with him were injured when their vehicle was swept away in a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst at Kayas village in Raison area of Kullu district early on Monday.
Eight more vehicles were washed away, a house was damaged and road connectivity to the village snapped due to heavy rain, state disaster management authority (SDMA) director DC Rana said, adding that a rescue team has reached Kayas.
Badal Sharma of Chansari village of Kullu was swept away in the vehicle, while the injured, Khem Chand, Suresh Sharma and Kapil, were admitted to hospital.
The meteorological department has forecast rain in Himachal Pradesh till July 22.
In the wake of the orange alert for heavy rain, the state government has extended the vacation of winter closing schools by a day. These include schools of Kinnaur and Pangi and Bharmour region of Chamba district, which have been closed since July 11.
Heavy rain, cloudbursts and landslides have claimed 37 lives and caused widespread damage across the state since July 8 with Kullu and Mandi districts bearing the brunt. Twelve people are still missing.
400 sheep die due to extreme weather in Spiti
Nearly 400 sheep died due to extreme cold in the high-altitude Pin Valley, while 1,200 sheep were rescued in Lahaul and Spiti district that received snow.
Lahaul-Spiti additional deputy commissioner Rahul Jain said 12 Gaddi (nomadic) shepherds, stranded due to heavy rain and snowfall from Spiti’s Pin Valley towards Bhawa Pass, had been rescued. As many as 1,200 stranded sheep and goats were taken to safer places. When the administration’s team inspected the spot, it found 400 sheep dead and 50 missing.
Barring a Gaddi stuck at Chandratal, all members of the nomadic community have been rescued.
On July 14, a rescue team with the help of local people provided fodder, medicines and ration to donkeys stranded at Kunzum Top and Chandratal. On the other hand, the second team went to rescue the shepherds of Rupi village in Kinnaur district, who were stranded in the Sangam Valley of Pin.
“It was here that we got information that eight shepherds are still trapped. They were provided medicines, ration and fodder. The third rescue team left from Mud village at 4am and found the six missing shepherds from Koot village of Rampur area,” Jain said.
Nearly 1,100 sheep and goats were stranded between rivulets near Bhava Pass, 17 km from Mud. The rescue team changed the flow of the drain and rescued the sheep and goats. After four hours, all shepherds were able to reach the village.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary, meanwhile, urged chief secretary Promod Saxena and the DC to urgently arrange a helicopter for rescue operations in the region.
“This morning, we received information from Dagu Ram, a resident of Bandla, stating that three shepherds—Ishwar Das, Finna Ram, and Jagdish Chand—are grappling with dire situations,” Kapoor said, seeking prompt action to provide essential commodities to them.
Close shave for labourers
A JCB driver and labourers working to clear debris from Chandigarh-Manali highway near Pandoh had a close shave when huge boulders rolled down the hill, hitting the machine. The driver and labourers, however, managed to escape unhurt.
The road connecting Sanjauli and Lakkar Bazar in the state capital, meanwhile, was also closed due to a landslide.
Since the onset of monsoon on June 24, a total of 122 people have lost their lives while 140 suffered injuries and 12 are still missing.
