Multiple cloudbursts hit Kullu and Rampur regions; cottages, vehicles washed away, bridge collapses
One Dead in Seraj
Shimla, Aug 13,
Himachal Pradesh witnessed a series of cloudbursts and heavy rains on Wednesday, leading to flash floods, damaged infrastructure, and one death.
Around 5:15 pm, cloudbursts occurred at four locations in Kullu and Shimla districts — Shrikhand and Tirthan Valley in Kullu, Nanti village of Facha in Shimla, and Kashapath.
The sudden downpour caused rivers and streams to swell dangerously. In Nanti, half of Ganvi market was submerged, while floods in Kurpan and Nogali khad forced evacuation of Bagipul market. In Tirthan Valley, three vehicles, three temporary sheds, and a bridge were washed away.
In the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti, heavy rain triggered flooding in Mayad Valley, washing away a bridge in Udaipur and dumping hundreds of tonnes of debris into fields. Panic gripped Udgos and Karpat villages after a swollen drain overflowed.
Tragedy struck Seraj in Mandi district when a man died after falling into a swollen drain while crossing a temporary bridge. Villagers pulled him out and rushed him to hospital, but doctors declared him dead. The original bridge had been washed away in a June 30 cloudburst, and locals have been risking their lives daily on the makeshift crossing since then.
Earlier in the day, at around 6:30 am, two deodar trees fell on the Cart Road in Shimla, disrupting traffic in Talland for two hours before being cleared.
Authorities have advised people in low-lying areas to remain alert and avoid going near rivers and streams as rainfall continues across the region.
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