Rain mayhem in hills: Himachal, Uttarakhand severely hit | 10 points

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, warning of heavy rainfall and possible flooding.

With heavy rains battering parts of northern India, at least 14 people were killed and hundreds are stranded in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

Part of a three storey building is washed away in flash floods in the Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. (AP/FILE)

Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police and paramilitary forces have been deployed to rescue people, as many are feared missing in the hill states.

A total of 32 people have reportedly died in rain-related incidents across seven northern states over the past 24 hours. This includes 12 in Uttarakhand, two in Himachal Pradesh, five in Delhi, two in Greater Noida of Uttar Pradesh, three in Haryana's Gurugram, three in Rajasthan's Jaipur and five in Bihar.

Here's how rain has wreaked havoc in the hills and plains

1. Cloudbursts in Shimla, Mandi, and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday morning caused severe damage, with four people confirmed dead and more than 50 others reported missing.
2. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, police and home guards started rescue operations have started rescue operations in Shimla.
3. Drones are used to locate the missing people and chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu held a meeting to take stock of the situation in the state.
4. Union home minister Amit Shah has assured Himachal chief minister of providing central assistance and all possible help. On the other hand, BJP national president JP Nadda has asked all BJP cadres to work toward the rescue and relief of people hit by the cloudburst in his home state.
5. In Uttarakhand, heavy overnight rains caused 12 deaths, including three from the same family and six injuries. The rains led to house collapses, widespread flooding and rising water levels in several rivers.
6. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced on Facebook that pilgrims stranded on the trek route to Kedarnath are being transported to the emergency helipad. An advisory has been issued advising pilgrims to postpone their journey to Kedarnath until the road is restored.
7. The cloudburst in Uttarakhand caused a landslide in the Bhim Bali stream along the Kedarnath walkway, damaging a 30-meter stretch. This area has been temporarily closed for safety reasons.
8. Roads in Haridwar were submerged. Flooding also impacted colonies and markets in Bhupatwala, Haridwar, Naya Haridwar, Kankhal and Jwalapur.
9. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on Thursday, warning of very heavy rainfall and possible flooding.
10. Following the alert from the IMD, fresh registrations for the Chardham yatra have been put on hold for the time being.