Indian Railways, on Saturday, suspended the train services between Pathankot and Jogindernagar after the collapse of a railway bridge over the Chakki river in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district.
According to the officials, the Chakki bridge collapsed after one of its three pillars got damaged due to heavy rains in the morning.
The railway authorities has declared the bridge unsafe and train service on the narrow-gauge track from Punjab’s Pathankot to Himachal Pradesh’s Jogindernagar has been suspended, they added.
As per the news agency ANI’s Twitter post, “The railway bridge on Chakki river in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district damaged due to flash flood and collapsed today morning. The water in the river is yet to recede: Northern Railways.”
The news agency has also shared a video of the collapsed railway bridge, in which part of the bridge can be seen collapsing amid heavy downpours and water flow on the Chakki river.
Moreover, Himachal Pradesh's disaster management department has also issued a warning for landslides due to heavy rains predicted in the state till August 25.
In addition to this, a cloudburst also hit a village in Dharmshala in the early morning, causing rivers to breach their banks and wash away bridges, officials said. Water also entered the caves of Tapkeshwar, a famous Shiva temple on the banks of the Tons river, which was in spate, they said.
A bridge over the Song river near Thano has washed away. The Kempty Falls, a popular tourist spot near Mussoorie, was also flowing dangerously, they added.
The Rishikesh-Badrinath highway is blocked at Totaghati, the Rishikesh-Gangotri highway is blocked at Nagni, and the Narendranagar-Ranipokhri motor road is blocked at several points.
Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, who visited the affected areas near Thano, instructed officials to make alternative arrangements for restoring vehicular movement.
Dhami said, “The administration is fully alert. Disaster relief teams are already at work in the affected areas. The Army's help may also be taken if needed.”
Mud entered homes in over a dozen villages following the cloudburst, prompting the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to shift the affected people to safe locations.
According to the officials, the affected villages include Maldevta, Bhutsi, Tauliyakatal, Thatyud, Lavarkha, Ringalgadh, Dhuttu, Ragad Gaon and Sarkhet.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall in isolated places today in Himachal Pradesh in the districts of Kangra, Chamba, Bilaspur, Sirmaur, and Mandi districts.
Due to heavy rainfall, schools have been closed in Kangra, Kullu and Mandi districts. Tourists and residents in the surrounding places have been advised to avoid going near the rivers and streams in bad weather.
(With input from agencies)