Torrential rains caused widespread devastation in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, resulting in four fatalities and extensive damage. Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, visited the disaster control room to review the situation and advised Char Dham pilgrims to proceed on their journey only after obtaining a weather update. The weather office has forecast intense spells of rain at isolated places in Nainital, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Dehradun, Tehri and Pauri districts on Sunday. Incessant rain triggered landslides, blocking a number of roads, while the water level has risen in several rivers, including the Ganga.
A 50-year-old man was killed when his vehicle got trapped under the debris following a landslide in Rudraprayag district. The deceased was identified as Anil Bisht. Two other vehicles were also damaged, the official said.
In another incident, a youth was killed and three others were injured while transplanting in a field in the Kandyal village of Purola tehsil of Uttarkashi district. The deceased has been identified as Abhishek (20).
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre in Himachal Pradesh, one person drowned in both Hamirpur and Shimla districts. The rain also caused damage to 11 houses and vehicles each, as well as four cowsheds. The state reported estimated losses of Rs 78 lakh in the past 24 hours, as per the official statement. Three houses were damaged in Lahaul and Spiti, five in Hamirpur, two in Solan and one in Mandi. Eight vehicles were damaged in Kullu, two in Lahaul and Spiti and one in Sirmaur. Uprooted trees blocked traffic on 126 roads, including two national highways. Power supply was also disrupted as 141 transformers suffered damage, emergency centre officials said.
Following the cloudburst, water gushed into four homes and also damaged the panchayat building in the Kheri area of Sujanpur subdivision of Hamirpur district.
According to the latest information, six people are trapped by the waters of the Beas near the Khanuali village and machinery worth lakhs of the Dhaulasidh Power Project has been washed away due to heavy flow of water in the river.
(With PTI inputs)
