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‘Howling loudly’: How a pet dog in Himachal's Mandi saved 60 lives amid flash floods, landslides
Fifteen dead, five injured, and 27 missing after 10 cloudbursts triggered flash floods on the night of June 30 and July 1 in Himachal’s Mandi district.
A dog’s timely alert helped save more than 60 lives in Siyathi village of Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district on the night of June 30, when multiple cloudbursts triggered flash floods and a landslide in the region.
The pet dog, sleeping on the second floor of a multi-storey house, began barking and howling loudly amid heavy rain. Alerted by the noise, the dog’s owner, Narender, noticed a large crack in the wall with water seeping through.
He immediately raised an alarm, prompting over 60 people to flee to safety just minutes before the landslide struck, PTI reported, quoting a villager.
Fifteen people died, five others were injured, and 27 remain missing after ten cloudbursts triggered flash floods and a landslide on the intervening night of June 30 and July 1 in Mandi district. Search operations are currently underway to trace those who were swept away.
Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday visited Bagsaid, Thunag, Thunadi, Lambathach, Jarol, Pandavshila, Kuthah, and the Janjheli area of Seraj assembly constituency in Mandi district, represented by Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur. He met with disaster-affected families and listened to their concerns.
CM Sukhu says BJP MPs should help secure forest land for rain-affected families
He said the biggest help BJP MPs in the state could provide would be to get special permission for allotting forest land to families affected by rain disasters.
“The biggest help from the BJP members of Parliament would be to get special permission under Forest Clearance Act to the state for allotment of forest land for rehabilitation of disaster-hit families and the state government would consider allocating them such land,” he said, adding that about 68 per cent of the total land in the state is forest land.
Himachal Pradesh has seven Members of Parliament, four from the Lok Sabha and three from the Rajya Sabha, all of whom belong to the BJP.
Sukhu also urged Mandi Lok Sabha MP Kangana Ranaut to raise the issue of the disaster with the Union government and seek assistance for the affected people.
“I understand how difficult it is to build a house in Himachal Pradesh. That's why the state government will provide compensation of ₹7 lakh for rebuilding your homes,” he added.
With PTI inputs
