5 killed in separate incidents of landslides following heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh

Amid heavy downpours in the state of Himachal Pradesh, five people have been killed in separate incidents of landslides in the districts of Shimla, Kullu and Chamba, said officials on Sunday.

Giving detailed information, authorities said that three members of a family died due to a house collapse in Shimla's Kotgarh area, a woman died in a makeshift home in Kullu and a person was buried alive after a landslide in Chamba's Katiyan on Saturday.

PTI reported 13 landslides and nine flash floods in the last 36 hours, citing state emergency operation centre.

Moreover, 736 roads have been closed for vehicular movement, including the Kullu-Manali road, while 1,743 transformers and 138 water supply schemes remained affected as of Sunday.

The Manali-Chandigarh road caved in near Manali due to heavy rains. Several shops and vehicles were reportedly swept away, while major rivers like Ravi, Beas and Satluj are flowing above the danger mark. Tourists have been asked to avoid travelling and not venture around river



bodies.

Furthermore, landslides on the roads and railway tracks have severely restricted commutes across the state. All trains between UNESCO heritage Shimla and Kalka track have been cancelled as fallen trees have blocked the tracks.

Four tourists had a narrow escape on Saturday night after a stone fell on their vehicle near the Chandigarh-Manali highway. As many as 30 students were rescued by the Lahaul and Spiti authorities on Saturday after they were stranded on Sundo-kaza-Gramphu (National Highway 505) following a road block due to a landslide.

A 'red' alert has been issued in seven districts of Himachal Pradesh for the next two days on Saturday by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), warning of extremely heavy rainfall in the state.

According to a statement, isolated places in the districts of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur are likely to receive to receive extremely heavy rainfall on July 8 and 9. The IMD also advised to brace for potential landslides and flooding and avoid vulnerable and water logging prone areas.