Tragedy struck Himachal Pradesh as flash floods, triggered by cloudbursts in Kangra and Kullu districts, claimed two lives, with around 20 people feared swept away. The deluge caused widespread destruction across both regions. Rescue operations are ongoing, as anxious families wait in hope for the return of their missing loved ones.
Some of the missing people have since been rescued. Search operations have been intensified to trace 10 people missing since the flash floods triggered by cloudbursts in Himachal's Kangra and Kullu districts, officials said on Thursday.
In Manuni Khad in Kangra district, around 15-20 workers stationed at a labour colony near the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric project site were feared swept away following a surge in water level in Manuni Khad of Khaniyara. Two people died due to the flash flood at the site.
Three people at Rehla Bihal in Kullu district who were washed away in the deluge while trying to take away valuables from their homes are still missing. A search is underway to find them.
Two teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and a team of home guards have been deployed at the spot and the National Disaster response Force (NDRF) has also been called for rescue efforts, Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa after visiting the site.
At the hydroelectric project site, six people are feared swept away by the floods while one person was seen fleeing to a nearby hill to save himself. His whereabouts are also not yet known, the DC said.
The rest have been rescued safely, he said, adding that search and rescue is the first priority.
Some of the missing people hail from Nurpur and Chamba areas of Himachal Pradesh and others from Uttar Pradesh. A dedicated team has been sent to find the man who went into the hills during the floods.
Dharamshala BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma who reached the spot on Thursday said the project site was one kilometer from his village. He said he received a call on Wednesday that the water level has surged and 15-20 people had been swept away.
Sharma said that building sheds for labourers near the drain, and not shifting them when the weather was unsafe areas was negligence and an investigation should be initiated.
The MLA also demanded adequate compensation to the family of the deceased.
According to officials, the project work had been suspended due to the rain, and the workers were resting in temporary shelters near the site when floodwaters from Manuni Khad and nearby drains diverted towards the labour colony, sweeping several of them away.
Three cloudbursts incidents were reported from Jeeva Nallah and Rehla Bihal in Sainj and Shilagarh in Gadsa area of Kullu district.
Flash floods were also reported from Manali and Banjar in the district, and search operations were underway.