Himachal rain: 5 killed, 2 missing in Mandi; seven families rendered homeless in Kangra’s Kotla

Multiple cloudbursts and resultant flash floods left behind a trail of destruction in Mandi district leaving five people dead while two are feared missing as heavy downpour since Tuesday night continued to batter Himachal Pradesh.

A government spokesperson said that two people were killed in a flash flood in Dagail village in Thunag subdivision of the district. One death each has been reported in Balichowki, Gohar and Mandi Sadar subdivisions.

Two women are feared missing in Jainshla village of Thunag.

Two houses and a school were damaged at Kuklah village in a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst. A school was also damaged in Kataula village where four people were rescued by emergency teams.

An overflowing waterfall flooded a tunnel and the connecting bridge on Kiratpur-Manali highway at Rens Nalla. A landslide has been reported near Hanogi temple.

Mandi additional district magistrate Madan Kumar said that the IMD has issued a warning for heavy rains in the district for two days and people are advised to be alert, avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from water streams.

“Deputy commissioner Arindam Chaudhary is in the field overseeing the rescue and relief works as the situation has turned grim due to continuous rainfall since Tuesday,” he said.

He added that 252 roads were blocked across the district, including the Mandi-Kullu highway.

“As many as 1,109 electricity transformers have malfunctioned,” said Kumar, adding that heavy rains were hampering the restoration work.

“The administration is considering seeking help from the Air Force and Army to airdrop medicines and food items in the areas which have been rendered inaccessible due to damaged roads,” he said.

In Kangra district seven families were rendered homeless after their houses were damaged due to a landslide at Kotla in Jawali subdivision.

Kangra deputy commissioner Nipun Jindal said the families have been shifted to two relief camps set up at Kotla. Earlier in the day a video of Kotla market went viral on social media in which people are seen running to safety as muddy water entered the area.

Geological investigations to find reason behind crumbling hills

The DC said that it has been observed that the maximum damage to the property in Kangra district was due to the caving in hill and geological investigations are being conducted to find the reason.

Several such cases have been reported from Jawali and Nurpur and other areas where hills have developed cracks or are caving in.

“We have roped in experts to conduct geological surveys in these areas to find out the reason as to why the hills were crumbling,” said Jindal.

Seven teams of experts are conducting the investigation and measures will be taken to deal with the situation after they submit their reports, said Jindal.

He also said that directions have been issued to the subdivisional magistrates to compile the report of destruction and displacement of people due to calamity so that rehabilitation could be done at earliest.

Caption: People shifting their belongings after a landslide damaged some houses in Kotla village of Jawali subdivision of Kangra district on Wednesday.