The death toll from flash floods triggered by cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi, Kullu, and Shimla districts has risen to nine following the recovery of a body from Rajban village in Mandi. Rescuers continue their search for approximately 45 missing individuals amidst challenging conditions.
A combined force of 410 rescuers, including teams from the Army, NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, CISF, Himachal Pradesh Police, and home guards, is deployed in the rescue operation, utilizing drones and various detection equipment to locate victims. The cloudbursts, which struck on the night of July 31, caused widespread devastation in Kullu’s Nirmand, Sainj, and Malana; Mandi’s Padhar; and Shimla’s Rampur subdivision.
Among the victims, 11-year-old Anamika’s body was discovered beneath a large boulder, which had to be blasted by rescue teams to recover her remains.
“The possibility of rescuing people alive is diminishing with each passing hour, but we hope the bodies are recovered soon as further delay will lead to decay, complicating identification,” said Mohan Lal Kaptiya, Pradhan of Gram Sarpara.
NDRF Commanding Officer Karam Singh stated, “A combined rescue operation is underway, and efforts are afoot to search for the missing people. We are using various equipment and sensors to detect victims buried or trapped under the debris.” In Samej village alone, located on the border of Shimla and Kullu districts, over 30 people are reported missing.
Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur visited the affected families in Kullu’s Sainj area on Saturday. He urged the administration to expedite the disbursement of relief funds to the victims.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who visited Samej village on Friday, announced immediate relief measures, including a grant of Rs 50,000 for each victim and a monthly rental assistance of Rs 5,000 for the next three months, along with provisions for gas, food, and other essentials. He also reported significant damage, including the destruction of 115 houses, 23 cowsheds, 10 shops, and three fish farms, alongside the loss of motorable and footbridges and vehicles since the cloudbursts began.
The state has suffered extensive damage, with losses amounting to Rs 662 crore since the onset of the monsoon on June 27 till August 3. According to the state emergency operation centre, 79 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents during this period.