Cloudburst in Himachal: 45 Washed Away, 13 Bodies Recovered So Far

A deadly cloudburst occurred near the Samej and Bagi bridges on Wednesday night, washing away 45 people near Shrikhand in Himachal Pradesh. Rescue operations are currently underway in the disaster-affected area.

Baljinder Singh, Commandant of the 14th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), stated that NDRF teams were dispatched to Himachal Pradesh well-prepared this year to ensure prompt response to such emergencies.

"This year, the NDRF teams were sent to remote locations in Himachal Pradesh to ensure there is no delay in the rescue operations. The Samej cloudburst that has taken place is a huge disaster," Singh said.

As of Thursday morning, 13 bodies have been recovered.

"We have recovered 13 dead bodies as of now. Four dead bodies were recovered earlier. Ten more people were missing, and we have found nine bodies as of now. One person has still not been found. We will make sure the rescue operations are carried out properly," Singh added.

Earlier on August 7, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported significant rainfall across the state, with Joginder Nagar in Mandi district experiencing the highest at 110 mm in 24 hours. Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD Himachal Pradesh, mentioned that alerts were issued for various regions.

"We have recorded the highest rainfall at Joginder Nagar in Mandi district at 110 mm during the past 24 hours. It is heavy rainfall, and in Sirmaur district, we have received heavy rainfall," Srivastava said.

"In other parts of the state, there has been moderate rainfall. Nearly 75 percent of areas have received between 30 mm to 50 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours," Srivastava said.

The IMD has issued an orange alert for the lower Himalayan districts of Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Chamba, and Mandi.

Also Read: Over 30 Missing After Cloudburst Near Hydroelectric Project in Himachal