 "13 dead, many missing after severe cloudburst hits Samej bridge in Himachal")
A major cloudburst near the Samej and Bagi bridges in Himachal Pradesh swept away 45 people near Shrikhand on Wednesday night.
Till Thursday morning, 13 bodies have been recovered as rescue operations are currently underway. The cloudburst coincided with heavy rainfall throughout the state.
Baljinder Singh, commandant of the 14th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), emphasised the readiness and prompt deployment of rescue teams to avoid operational delays. “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.
Bodies of 13 victims were found during the ongoing search operations. “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,” said Singh.
Heavy rainfall hits Himachal Pradesh
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported substantial rainfall throughout Himachal Pradesh, with regions such as Joginder Nagar in the Mandi district receiving 110 mm of rain within a 24-hour period.
Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of IMD Himachal Pradesh, said, “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 further said, “In other parts of the state, there has been moderate rainfall. Nearly 75 per cent of areas have received between 30 mm to 50 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours.”
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Residents and travellers are advised to stay alert and follow safety guidelines, as the severe weather may impact daily routines and elevate the flood risk.
[With agency inputs]