Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 14: At least 48 people were killed in Himachal Pradesh, nine of them buried under the rubble of a Shiv temple in Shimla, as rains wreaked havoc in the State, triggering landslides that blocked key roads and brought down houses, officials said on Monday.
More people are feared trapped under the debris of the Shiv temple in Shimla’s Summer Hill area. The shrine was crowded with devotees, offering prayers in view of the holy month of Shravana.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu visited the site of the temple collapse and said all efforts were being made to rescue people buried underneath the debris. “Distressing news has emerged from Shimla, where the Shiv Mandir at Summer Hill collapsed as a result of the heavy rainfall. As of now, nine bodies have been retrieved. The local administration is diligently working to clear the debris in order to rescue individuals who may still be trapped. Om Shanti,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Later, talking to reporters at the site, he said, “There was a gathering in the Lord Shiva temple at the time of the incident as it was Monday of the holy month of Sawan. Rescue work is underway on a war footing. All possible efforts are being made to rescue the people buried under the debris.”
In yet another major rain-related tragedy in less than 24 hours, seven people were swept away in flash floods. The Chief Minister shared a video clip from the Sambhal village in Mandi district, saying, active rescue, search, and relief operations are currently in progress to address “this dreadful situation.” At least 33 people have died in the last two days in incidents linked to incessant rainfall in the hill state.
“Disturbing visuals have emerged from Sambhal, Pandoh – District Mandi, where, as reported, seven individuals have been swept away by flash floods today. Active rescue, search, and relief operations are currently in progress to address this dreadful situation,” he tweeted. The video shows water gushing downhill with great force, and the person behind the camera could be heard repeatedly saying “oh God” in a distressed tone.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are engaged in relief and rescue operations in rain-hit Himachal Pradesh, and termed the loss of lives due to the deluge as “extremely distressing.” Along with the Army, personnel from the SDRF, NDRF, ITBP, and State police, among others, were involved in relief and rescue works, an official statement said.
The chief minister has appealed to the people to stay indoors and avoid going near drains or rivers. He also asked people to move away from landslide-prone areas, and requested tourists not to visit the state during this crisis.
About 15 to 20 people were feared buried in two landslides in Shimla city, Deputy Commissioner of Shimla Aditya Negi said. Besides the Shiv temple, the other site was in the Fagli area where several houses were buried under mud and slush.
Six people were rescued after the cloudburst at Mamligh village of Kandaghat subdivision in Solan. Two houses and one cowshed were washed away. According to the state emergency operation centre, 752 roads were closed in the state because of the calamity.
The heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh, and neighbouring Uttarakhand, are due to a fresh spell of Western Disturbance, the Indian Meteorological Department said. “The location of the Monsoon trough lies along the foothills of the Himalayas, and hence the South-westerly Arabian Sea monsoonal winds are hitting the Himalayan foothills,” the weather department said. The weather office predicted extremely heavy rain in nine out of 12 districts of the state, barring Kulu, Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti, on Monday and issued a yellow warning for Tuesday.
Himachal Pradesh has been the worst affected state in the country due to the floods and landslides with officials announcing a staggering loss of over Rs 7020 crores due to the monsoon’s devastating impact. According to the administration, 1,376 houses have been damaged in the state, while 7,935 houses have been partially damaged so far in the monsoon havoc.
The Chief Minister has directed the authorities to ensure all possible assistance and support to the affected families. More than 700 roads have been closed in the state due to landlsides triggered by incessant rain, officials said, adding that a key stretch of the National Highway connecting Shimla and Chandigarh has been affected by recurring landslides, leaving several vehicles stranded along the highway.
Schools, colleges and other educational institutes in the state were closed down. All the ongoing examinations of Post Graduate classes have been cancelled to ensure the safety of students amid heavy rains. As many as 170 incidents of cloudburst and landslide have been reported in the State in the current monsoon season as Himachal Pradesh has continued to witness the monsoon fury since the onset of the monsoon on June 24 leaving more than 260 people dead so far.