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Himachal flood toll mounts to 13 as 4 more bodies recovered
With four more deaths now being confirmed, the toll has now reached 13 while over 40 people are still missing after a series of cloudbursts occurred in Kullu’s Nirmand, Sainj and Malana, Mandi’s Padhar and Shimla’s Rampur subdivision on the night of July 31 and wreaked havoc.
Sniffer dogs on Sunday helped the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) trace and recover four more bodies from Rajban village in Mandi’s Padhar and Rampur in Shimla as rescue and relief operations in the state’s flood-hit areas entered the fourth day.
With four more deaths now being confirmed, the toll has now reached 13 while over 40 people are still missing after a series of cloudbursts occurred in Kullu’s Nirmand, Sainj and Malana, Mandi’s Padhar and Shimla’s Rampur subdivision on the night of July 31 and wreaked havoc. The specialised force had earlier shared that two highly trained sniffer dogs would accompany teams for the searches in Mandi.
The other bodies were recovered near Dhakoli on the banks of Sutlej river in Rampur later in the evening.
The deceased are yet to be identified, Shimla superintendent of police (SP) Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said, adding that searches continue in the area for others who remain missing.
Chief minister (CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the government was keeping a close watch on the damage caused by the disaster and the rescue operations. “Our deputy chief minister and all ministers are working in the disaster-affected areas. Instructions have been given to continue the work on basic facilities and infrastructure at a fast pace,” he wrote in a post on ‘X’.
Deputy CM Mukhesh Agnihotri, and public works department minister Vikramaditya Singh were in Bagipul area of Nirmand, Kullu district, to oversee the relief and rescue operations while Sukhu and revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi visited Rampur in Shimla district to take stock of the situation.
Searches also continued in the villages on the Kullu and Shimla border. Rampur sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Nishant Tomar said the administration was making all efforts to trace the missing, adding, “We have deployed the machinery, and we also have sniffer dogs of the NDRF and the defence.”
Connectivity to the Sarpara village falling under the Rampur sub-division had also been snapped after the floodwater washed away roads and a footbridge in the area.
PWD teams have begun work to repair and restore the infrastructure. “Work to repair the footbridge has already begun and our engineers are present at the spot. Restoring the connectivity is a priority,” Tomar said
Former CM and leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur visited Samej village to take stock of the ground situation.
