Over 60 dead in Himachal, Uttarakhand due to heavy rains, rescue operations underway

Continuous rainfall and landslides have resulted in the tragic loss of over 60 lives across Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Efforts are made to save the injured and recover bodies from the wreckage of collapsed homes in various locations.

The majority of deaths occurred in Himachal Pradesh, where Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu reported 60 deaths since the heavy downpours began on 13 August.

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh: On the massive landslide in the Summer Hill area, SDM Shimla (Urban) Bhanu Gupta says, “Local people have confirmed the count that there can be 21 bodies. Out of which, we have recovered 12 bodies in the last two days. Our search and rescue operation is… https://t.co/sjD6uLAKci pic.twitter.com/ufwSJPe1ue

— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2023

In a Wednesday morning tweet, the Chief Minister shared that over 800 individuals were successfully evacuated from Kangra’s low-lying areas due to rising water levels in the Pong Dam.

“More than 800 people were evacuated from the low-lying areas of Kangra near the Pong Dam, as their villages became inaccessible due to the elevated water level in the dam reservoir. Evacuation operation is still on as more people are being evacuated,” said Sukhu.

More than 800 people were evacuated from the low-lying areas of Kangra near the Pong Dam, as their villages became inaccessible due to the elevated water level in the dam reservoir.

Evacuation operation is still on as more people are being evacuated. pic.twitter.com/gtESMDhUnu

— Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) August 16, 2023

Weather authorities have forecasted sporadic yet intense rainfall in Himachal Pradesh for the next two days, and a similar weather pattern over Uttarakhand for the subsequent four days.

#WATCH | Uttarakhand | Rudraprayag Police tweets, “Operation to rescue people stranded at Madmaheshwar valley begins with the help of helicopter. A temporary and optional helipad set up at Nanu where people are reaching on foot. They are being evacuated to Ransi village from… pic.twitter.com/P2vYuV5Srh

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) August 16, 2023

VIDEO | SDRF, DDRF teams arrive to rescue those stranded due to heavy rainfall in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand. pic.twitter.com/LO949xcYzz

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 16, 2023

On Tuesday, search and rescue teams managed to retrieve three bodies from landslides. Among them, one was discovered amidst the ruins of a collapsed Shiva temple in Shimla, while two individuals lost their lives in a new landslide within the city.

Krishnanagar locality in Shimla experienced a devastating landslide, causing the collapse of at least eight houses, including six makeshift ones, and burying a slaughterhouse under debris.

Due to adverse weather conditions, all schools and colleges in the Himachal will remain closed on Wednesday.

Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu convened a meeting on Tuesday to assess the ongoing situation in the state. He emphasised the government’s full dedication to expediting restoration efforts as a top priority. Additionally, he instructed officials to promptly restore electricity and water supply systems affected by the recent torrential rainfall.

With inputs from agencies