Cloudbursts, flash floods hit Himachal; 8 bridges damaged, multiple roads blocked

Shimla: Three cloudbursts and flash floods, two landslides and one drowning incident were reported in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, resulting in damage to eight bridges and 12 vehicles and blocking of multiple roads, including a national highway, the State Emergency Operation Centre said here.

The natural calamities were reported in Shimla, Sirmaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu, and Kinnaur districts. Fortunately, no human casualty was reported, though one person is missing, who is suspected to have drowned in the Parvati River in Kullu district.

Braving darkness, fast currents and unstable terrain, the Indian Army, in its swift response, averted a potential tragedy when a sudden flash flood struck Hojis Lungpa Nala in mountainous Kinnaur.

The incident happened at around 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Triggered by a cloudburst in the higher reaches of the Rishi Dogri Valley, the deluge engulfed the bridge across the Sutlej River and injured one individual.

The site was an active road construction zone under the CPWD towards Gangthang Bralam, it said.

On receiving an urgent request from the Superintendent of Police, the Army immediately mobilised a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) column.

Braving fast currents, the team reached the location and discovered four civilians stranded on the far bank. Working with precision under challenging conditions, the HADR team illuminated the general area to aid night rescue operations. They also guided the stranded civilians to higher and safer ground and evacuated the injured individual to the Regional Hospital in Reckong Peo, the district headquarters.

The Indian Army deployed its new generation equipment to assist in the operation, which included the logistics drone high altitude (LDHA) system to ferry essential items, including eatables, coconut water, across the floodwaters to help sustain the stranded individuals through the night.

Elsewhere, a flood in the Changreji rivulet in Tashigang in Kinnaur damaged irrigation channels and pipelines.

A cloudburst occurred in the Nanti Ganvi area in Rampur Upper Shimla, prompting the evacuation of people. Several sheds and a house were damaged. The collapse of a bridge cut off access to multiple villages and three gram panchayats.

Additionally, a landslide at Khaltunala in Kotkhai, also in the Shimla district, damaged parked vehicles.

In Kullu district, incidents included a drowning case at Chowki in Manikaran, a cloudburst in Bthad that swept away cottages and vehicles, and a flash flood at Kurpan Khad in Bagipul with no major losses reported, said the State Emergency Operation Centre.

Lahaul-Spiti saw flash floods near Jahalman, a cloudburst at Munni Nallah, blocked roads and damaged a bridge abutment.

Floods at Khurik have blocked the National Highway 505.

A landslide in Rajgarh in Sirmaur district was reported that killed four cattle, damaged a cowshed, and swept away a parked car.

The government said all these calamities resulted in the damage of eight bridges, multiple roads blocked, 12 vehicles damaged, six cow sheds and four cottages destroyed. Restoration and damage assessment efforts are ongoing across affected areas, it added.

IANS