Himachal flash floods: CM Sukhu shares video clip from Sambal village in Mandi district
New Delhi, August 14: After seven persons swept away in flash floods on Monday, Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu shared a video clip from the Sambal village in Mandi district, saying, active rescue, search, and relief operations were currently underway.
In the past 48 hours, at least 21 persons have lost their lives in incidents connected to unrelenting rainfall in Himachal Pradesh. "Disturbing visuals have emerged from Sambhal, Pandoh - District Mandi, where, as reported, seven individuals have been swept away by flash floods today. Active rescue, search, and relief operations are currently in progress to address this dreadful situation," he tweeted.
Disturbing visuals have emerged from Sambhal, Pandoh - District Mandi, where, as reported, seven individuals have been swept away by flash floods today.
Active rescue, search, and relief operations are currently in progress to address this dreadful situation. pic.twitter.com/OLgZGgXNlF — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) August 14, 2023
The video shared by Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu depicts a forceful downhill rush of water, accompanied by the person operating the camera uttering "oh God" repeatedly in a tone of distress.
Earlier, 16 persons lost their lives in two separate incidents linked to heavy rainfall. Seven casualties were reported due to a cloudburst incident in Solan district late last evening while nine others died after a landslide at a Shiv Temple located in Summer Hill region of Shimla city.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has issued a plea to the public, urging them to remain indoors and refrain from approaching drains or rivers. During an interview with a news channel, he urged people to relocate from landslide-prone zones and requested tourists to refrain from visiting the state amidst this ongoing crisis.
Notably, six persons were rescued after the cloudburst at Mamligh village of Kandaghat subdivision in Solan. Two houses and one cowshed were washed away, ANI reported.
As per information from the state's emergency operation centre, a total of 752 roads are shut in Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh has emerged as the most severely affected state in the nation, grappling with floods and landslides. Officials have pegged the financial loss at Rs 7,020.28 crore due to the destructive impact of the monsoon.
- With inputs from agencies