Himachal rains: Orange alert issued amid heavy downpour; death toll reaches 78
Himachal rains: The death toll from rain-related disasters in Himachal Pradesh has risen to 78 in the last week, with the recovery of another body from the debris of a collapsed temple.
This update comes as the region's MeT has issued an orange alert for the next two days.
According to police, the most recent victim, Eish Sharma (28), was found amidst the rubble of a fallen temple.
P. L. Sharma, the chairman of the mathematics department at Himachal Pradesh University, was found dead on August 17.
Since Sunday night, 24 people have died in Shimla's three major landslides, including 17 at the Shiv temple in Summer Hill, 5 in Fagli, and 2 in Krishnanagar.
The Army, National and State Disaster Response Forces, Police, and Home Guards are also involved in the recovery of bodies from landslide debris. Three people are still feared buried under the temple's debris. Drones are being used in the state capital to help identify high-risk locations and monitor landslide sites.
Meanwhile, according to an official release, Bharatiya Janata Party National President JP Nadda will visit Himachal Pradesh on Sunday to assess the devastation caused by severe rains and floods in the state.
According to the statement, Nadda will meet with affected family members of those who died in the calamity during his visit to the flood-ravaged state.
Continuous rain has caused landslides, cloudbursts, and flash floods in the state, causing substantial damage.
Himachal Pradesh's administration has declared the entire state a "natural calamity-affected area."
According to the most recent state government data, the total monetary loss in Himachal has reached Rs 8014.61 crore since June 24.
With 113 landslides during this year's monsoon season, a total of 2,022 houses have been fully devastated and 9,615 houses have been partially damaged.
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- With inputs from agencies
