114 roads closed in Himachal, MeT predicts heavy rainfall till Aug 7

Flash floods and landslides due to cloudbursts and heavy rains have led to the closure of 114 roads in Himachal Pradesh, while the weather department on Saturday warned that heavy showers would continue in the state till August 7.

Of the roads closed for vehicular traffic, 36 are in Mandi, 34 in Kullu, 27 in Shimla, eight in Lahaul and Spiti, seven in Kangra, and two in Kinnaur district, according to the state emergency operation centre.

The Himachal Roads Transport Corporation has suspended its bus services on 82 routes, an official said.

Moderate to heavy showers continued to lash parts of the state, with Jogindernagar receiving the highest rainfall of 85 mm since Friday evening, followed by Gohar 80 mm, Shilaroo 76.4 mm, Poanta Sahib 67.2 mm, Palampur 57.2 mm, Dharamshala 56.2 mm and Chopal 52 mm.

 

The local weather office has issued a "yellow" alert for heavy rains till August 7.

Rain-related incidents have claimed 77 lives between June 27 and August 1 and caused losses amounting to Rs 655 crore, officials said.

Flash floods triggered by a series of cloudbursts in Kullu's Nirmand, Sainj and Malana; Mandi's Padhar and Shimla's Rampur subdivision on the night of July 31 killed at least eight people.

The hunt for 45 people, who went missing after the cloudbursts, resumed on Saturday morning with 410 rescuers from teams of the Army, NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, CISF, Himachal Pradesh Police and home guards involved in the hunt with the help of drones.