At least seven people have died after a cloudburst incident in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district. Five people were rescued and one is reported missing after the cloudburst at Jadon village of Kandaghat subdivision in Solan, officials said.

Two houses and one cowshed were washed away, news agency ANI reported.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu offered condolences in a tweet and said he has directed the authorities to ensure all possible assistance and support to the affected families.

Also Read: Himachal Pradesh: Five dead in landslides, all major rivers in spate after heavy rains

“Devastated to hear about the loss of 7 precious lives in the tragic cloudburst incident at Village Jadon, Dhawla Sub-Tehsil in Solan District. My heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving families. We share in your pain and sorrow during this difficult time,” the Chief Minister’s Office tweeted.

Heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh in the past 24 hours have triggered landslides, blocking several roads, including the key Shimla-Chandigarh road which was closed for buses and trucks.

The Himachal CM, in view of the incessant rains, announced the closure of all schools and colleges in the state on Monday, PTI reported.

A total of 621 roads, including a maximum of 236 in Mandi, 59 in Shimla and 40 in Bilaspur district are currently closed for vehicular traffic, according to the state emergency operation centre. A key stretch of the Shimla-Kalka National Highway connecting Shimla and Chandigarh has been affected by recurring landslides over the past two weeks, officials said.

Also Read: Himachal Pradesh rain fury: 330 roads closed due to rain-triggered landslides, flash floods

On Sunday, a large number of heavy vehicles got stranded on both sides of the road at Chakki Mor near Koti in Solan as continuous sliding obstructed movement on the road throughout the day. The small vehicles are being diverted through alternate routes, they added, PTI reported.

On Sunday, moderate to very heavy rains lashed parts of the state with Sundernagar receiving the maximum rainfall at 178 mm, followed by Sujanpur Tira recording 150 mm, Gohar 130 mm, Kahu 120 mm, Mandi 123 mm, Dharmshala142 mm, Berthin 80 mm, Baldwara 80 mm, and 70 mm each at Nadaun, Palampur and Karsog. Shimla received 56 mm of rain, while Guler and Pachhad recorded 40 mm, and Jogindernagar, Nagrota Surian, Solan and Kangra each got 30 mm.

The local MeT station has issued a yellow warning of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places from August 14 to 17 and predicted a wet spell in the state till August 19.