Twenty people are reported missing following a cloudburst in Shimla’s Rampur area. According to the district administration, the disaster management authority received information about the cloudburst near a hydroelectric power project at Samej Khad early today. A disaster response team has been dispatched to the scene, and top officials, including Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap and district police chief Sanjeev Gandhi, are on their way to the site.
Mr. Kashyap stated, “According to the information we received, about 20 people are missing from the area affected by the cloudburst.” The cloudburst has disrupted road connectivity in the area, forcing rescue teams to hike to the affected site.
In addition to the incident in Rampur, cloudbursts have also been reported in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi, about 125 km from Shimla. An order issued by Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan noted that cloudbursts in Rajban village near Muhal Terang have led to road blockades and landslides. “Under these circumstances, movement of staff, school and college children, and trainees may not be safe and should be restricted,” the Deputy Commissioner announced, mandating the closure of all educational institutions and vocational training centres in Padhar subdivision.
The monsoon fury has also severely impacted neighboring Uttarakhand. In Tehri Garhwal district, a cloudburst at Jakhanyali resulted in the deaths of two people, Bhanu Prasad (50) and Anita Devi (45), with another person injured. A spokesperson from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) reported receiving information about three people missing due to the cloudburst last night. “During the search, SDRF recovered two bodies and found an injured person in a 200-meter-deep ditch. He was brought out on a stretcher,” the spokesperson said, according to a report.
In Haridwar, two children died and nine others were injured when the roof of a dilapidated house collapsed after heavy rainfall. The deceased were identified as Aas Mohammed (10) and Nagma (8). District Magistrate Dhiraj Singh Garbyal informed ANI that three of the injured are in critical condition. “The remaining are also hospitalised but are out of danger. This old house was in a dilapidated state, and heavy rain caused it to collapse,” he said.
Cloudbursts and subsequent heavy rainfall have caused significant disruption and loss of life in these regions, with authorities urging caution and taking measures to ensure the safety of residents.
