With light to moderate rainfall in the past 24 hours, landslides and flash floods have continued to disrupt life in several parts of Himachal Pradesh. Roads remain blocked in many areas as rescue and restoration work is under way. Amid the crisis, an American travel vlogger, Drew Binsky, has shared his harrowing experience of being stranded in the middle of a landslide-hit region.
(Also read: US YouTuber who once slammed flight to India is now stuck in Pakistan amid border tensions)
"Absolutely insane and really dangerous"
Taking to his official Instagram account, Drew posted a video from a landslide zone, explaining the grim reality on the ground. In the clip, he says, “I am in Himachal Pradesh, India, and I am stuck in all these landslides. Look at my feet. Look at the river. It is rainy season right now. It is super dangerous. All the cars are blocked. We do not know how many days we are going to be stuck here. It is absolutely insane and really dangerous. And you can just see the rocks are still falling right now. All the workers are here trying to fix it. And we are basically stuck in no man’s land for an unknown amount of time. Wish me luck. And yes, this is happening right now in real time. Love you all.”
The video is accompanied by a caption that reads, “There are actually 20 landslides within 10 miles of us right now. Absolutely insane and very scary.”
{{/usCountry}}The video is accompanied by a caption that reads, “There are actually 20 landslides within 10 miles of us right now. Absolutely insane and very scary.”
{{/usCountry}}Take a look here at the clip:
Social media reactions pour in
The clip, which has amassed nearly four lakh views, has sparked several reactions. One viewer commented that the scene looked “straight out of a disaster movie” and urged the vlogger to “stay safe at all costs”. Another remarked that “Himachal’s beauty can turn deadly in seconds during the monsoon”.
Some viewers expressed sympathy, with one saying, “I hope you and everyone there find a safe route soon” while another wrote, “The locals here go through this every year and still manage to help stranded travellers.” A user added, “I was there last year during rains and it’s terrifying — please take care.”