Himachal Cloudbursts: 2 Dead, Over 50 Missing In Shimla, Mandi; PM Modi Assures Prompt Aid

Two people died and several are missing after two separate cloudburst incidents in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday. The cloudbursts occurred in Shimla and Mandi districts, causing significant disruptions and damage in the districts.

Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated that more than 50 people are missing following cloudburst incidents in Rampur tehsil of Shimla, Padhar tehsil of Mandi district, and the villages of Jaon and Nirmand in Kullu.

Sukhu is in contact with officials and closely monitoring the relief and rescue operations.

Expressing grief over the situation, CM Sukhu took ‘X’ and said, “Very sad news has been received about more than 50 people missing due to cloudburst in Rampur tehsil of Shimla, Padhar tehsil of Mandi district and Jaon, Nirmand villages of Kullu.”

“Teams of NDRF, SDRF, Police, Home Guard and Fire Services are engaged in relief, search and rescue operations. The local administration has been instructed to carry out relief and rescue operations smoothly. I am in touch with the officials and monitoring the relief and rescue operations,” he added.

In Shimla, 36 people are missing following a cloudburst in the Samej Khad area of Rampur, while 8 people are reported missing in Mandi. The rescue teams have recovered two bodies.

Himachal Pradesh Minister Jagat Singh Negi said that 36 people are reported missing in the Samej area of Shimla district. In addition, 8 people are missing in the Tikan area of Mandi, where 2 bodies have been recovered and 1 person is injured.

PM Modi Assures All Possible Assistance

Sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been closely monitoring the situation in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi in the wake of heavy rains and a cloudburst.

He also asked top officials to ensure all possible assistance is provided to the affected. Relief operations are underway in full swing as 14 teams of NDRF have been deployed in the affected region.

Rahul Gandhi Speaks To Himachal CM

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday condoled the loss of lives in the cloudburst incidents in Himachal Pradesh, and said that he had spoken with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to take stock of the “difficult situation”.

“The news of the death and disappearance of many people due to cloudburst and heavy rainfall in Shimla, Mandi and Kullu is extremely saddening,” Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.

“I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families in this difficult time,” the former Congress chief said in a post in Hindi on X. He hoped that all the missing people would be found as soon as possible.

Malana Dam Damaged In Kullu

Negi also informed that the barrage of the Malana power project in Kullu has also collapsed, leaving people stranded and road connectivity currently cut off.

Minister said that several bridges have been damaged following the incessant rainfall in the state and CM Sukhu has called an emergency meeting.

Earlier, Shimla Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap informed that 19 people are missing following a cloudburst in the Samej Khad area of Rampur. He added that the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team had been dispatched to the site.

In Mandi district, a cloudburst in Thaltukhod of the Padhar subdivision has led to the recovery of one body, with 9 people still unaccounted for. The incident has also caused damage to several houses.

Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan said that the District Administration and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are on their way to the affected area.

JP Nadda Speaks To Himachal CM Sukhu

Union Minister and BJP chief JP Nadda spoke with Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to gather information and assure support from the central government following the significant losses and disruptions caused by the cloudburst in Himachal.

Nadda also contacted former CM and Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, as well as the BJP State President, directing all BJP workers to actively participate in relief efforts.

Meanwhile, former Himachal CM and Leader of Opposition, Jairam Thakur, expressed his sadness over the tragic loss of life in Mandi due to the recent cloudburst. On ‘X’, Thakur urged the State Government to prioritize relief and rescue operations at the sites affected by the heavy rains across the state last night.

IMD Issues Orange Alert For Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is witnessing heavy rainfall, causing the water level in the Beas River in Manali to rise significantly.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Himachal Pradesh, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall on Thursday. Heavy downpours are expected to continue for the next 2-3 days in the state.