Five killed, five missing in flash floods, landslides

Shimla: Five people were killed and five others went missing in flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu and Shimla on Wednesday, officials said.  Several roads, including the Ferozepur-Shipki La National Highway-5 at Jhakri in Shimla district, remained blocked. Power and water supply was also hit in several areas.

The Kullu administration has banned water sports and camping near rivers. According to the officials, three people were confirmed dead in Kullu. Five people who went missing are also feared dead. Over 25 employees working at the Malana power project there were rescued from a building that was damaged by flash floods.

A landslide on the outskirts of Shimla city killed a 14-year-old girl while two others were critically injured. A man drowned in a water body in the district. The Shimla District Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC) said the landslide that killed the girl occurred at Dhalli. She and the two others persons were buried under the debris and it took several minutes to rescue them.

They were sent to the IGMC hospital where the girl was declared brought dead.

In Kullu, at least five people were washed away and the bridge across Parvati River damaged in flash floods triggered by a cloudburst in Manikaran, the officials said.

State Disaster Management Director Sudesh Mokhta said at least five people went missing after the cloudburst at Chojh village in Challal panchayat of Kullu around 6 am. In yet another incident in Kullu, two people were injured following a landslide at Salot in Nirmand tehsil.

They were referred to the Nirmand zonal hospital. Officials said efforts are on to trace those went missing.

The floodgates of Larje and Pandoh dams are being opened and people living in downstream areas have been put on a high alert.

Further, the Ferozepur-Shipki La National Highway-5 has been blocked for traffic at Jhakri in Rampur Bushar tehsil here on Wednesday, a National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) official said.

The highway blocked around 2 am as the flow of water increased in the Broni nullah during the heavy rainfall, which also brought the debris on to the road, NHAI Executive Engineer KL Suman said.

Water level in a majority of rivers, rivulets, nullahs and other water bodies has increased and people have been advised not to go near them to avoid any mishap.