At least 66 people have lost their lives in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand amid incessant rains that started on August 13. The rains further triggered landslides in many areas including Shimla's Summer Hill, Krishna Nagar and Fagli.
Of the 66 deaths, most occurred in Himachal Pradesh, where about 60 people died in the last three days, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Tuesday. He said that a nearly 157 per cent surge in rainfall over the past few days has resulted in extensive damage.
The weather office has predicted isolated but heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh over the next two days and over Uttarakhand in the next four days as the rescue operations are currently underway.
On Tuesday, rescue workers recovered three bodies from the rubble due to landslides. One body was pulled out of the debris of a collapsed Shiva temple in Shimla while two people died in a fresh landslide in the city, according to an India Today report.
At least eight houses were razed to the ground and a slaughter house was buried under debris in a major landslide at Krishnanagar locality in the heart of Shimla city on Tuesday evening.
All the schools and colleges in the state would remain closed on Wednesday due to inclement weather, an order issued by the education department said. About 800 roads are blocked in the state and the losses suffered by the state since the onset of monsoon since June 24 has crossed Rs 7,200 crore, PTI reported citing officials.
Sukhu on Tuesday chaired a meeting to review the prevailing situation in the state and emphasised that the Himachal government is fully committed to expediting restoration efforts on a priority basis. He also directed the officials to swiftly restore electricity and water supply schemes that have been affected by the torrential rain over the past few days.
In a tweet on Wednesday morning, the Chief Minister said that over 800 people were evacuated from their villages in the low-lying areas of Kangra as the water level in Pong Dam rose.
"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," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Uttarakhand toll rises to 6
Meanwhile, in Uttarakhand, the toll in rain-related incidents rose to six. The state has been receiving heavy rains since Monday.
The body of a woman, who went missing after water from a swollen Pawar river entered villages in Uttarkashi district's Arakot area, was found on Tuesday while that of a 14-year-old girl, Tejaswini, was recovered from a rain-fed stream in the Lakshman Jhula area of Rishikesh.
The girl went missing on Monday after a car in which she was travelling with her mother and brother was swept away by the swirling waters of the stream. They were residents of Rani Mandir area of Rishikesh. Operations are underway to trace her mother and brother.
A yellow alert has been issued for several places in Uttarakhand for the next four days till August 19. While the rain intensity may decrease over time, people have been warned not to venture out in areas which are affected by floods and landslides.
(With inputs from PTI)