Himachal cloudburst: Two killed, 50 missing

Shimla, Aug 1: At least two people were killed and 50 others reported missing following a cloudburst in Rampur in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district, officials said on Thursday. 

Rescue teams have been dispatched to the area to conduct relief and rehabilitation operations.

The Meteorological (MeT) office in Shimla has issued an 'orange' alert, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning in isolated locations across the state for the next 24 hours. Flash floods in the Beas and Parvati rivers in Kullu district have caused significant damage to both public and private property.

Additionally, the heavy rainfall led to the bursting of a dam associated with a hydropower project on the Parvati River in Malana. The Kullu administration has issued a warning, advising residents to avoid the river and nearby water channels.

Union Minister and BJP Chief J.P. Nadda has spoken with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, assuring him of full support from the Central government. Nadda also reached out to former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, instructing BJP workers to actively participate in the relief operations.

The MeT office has also warned of potential landslides and flash floods in vulnerable areas of the Kullu, Solan, Sirmaur, Shimla, and Kinnaur districts. Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap confirmed that teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the police, and local rescue units have been deployed to the affected regions.

In response to the situation, Chief Minister Sukhu has convened an emergency meeting at the secretariat in light of the three recent cloudbursts across the state, according to an official statement.