Himachal Pradesh rain toll 71; 1,700 rescued as dam water floods Kangra | India News – Times of India

SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh is reeling under the relentless onslaught of nature’s fury as landslides and flash floods, triggered by torrential downpour and cloudbursts since Sunday, have resulted in a tragic loss of 71 lives, according to the state principal secretary (revenue) Onkar Sharma on Wednesday.

In Kangradistrict, the release of water from the Pong dam has inundated vast areas, necessitating a large-scale rescue operation of more than 1,700 people so far.

The combined efforts of the district administration, Army, and IAF are underway to relocate affected residents to safer zones.Shimla faces its own crisis, with several buildings precariously perched on the brink of collapse. A landslide behind a six-storey building of the Urban Development Department poses an imminent threat to the structure.
Tragedy struck the Krishna Nagar locality on Tuesday, with a major landslide leading to the collapse of the municipal corporation’s slaughterhouse and several other houses, claiming two lives. With buildings facing the risk of collapse, residents of more than 35 houses in the area were evacuated.

Landslide entombs family of 7 at temple
Search teams retrieved the 13th body on Wednesday from the debris of a massive landslide that had struck the renowned Shiv Bawdi temple in Shimla’s Summer Hill area. The calamity entombed a family of seven, two professors from Himachal Pradesh University, and nearly two dozen devotees on Monday morning.
As rescuers meticulously combed through heaps of rubble, soil, and fallen trees, the prospects of locating the 10 missing people grew dimmer with each passing moment. The tragedy occurred around 7.15am, when an onslaught of earth and vegetation cascaded down upon the temple, sealing the fate of those within its walls. The victims had congregated at the temple to partake in the traditional offering of “kheer” during the holy month of Shravan.

Pawan Sharma, a 65- year-old local electrical gadget dealer, and six members of his family were among the casualties. Authorities succeeded in pulling out five bodies: Sharma’s wife, Santosh, 54; their son Aman, 34; daughter-in-law Archana, 32; and two granddaughters aged 8 and 1.5 years. However, Sharma and another granddaughter, aged four, remain unaccounted for.
Tragic narratives continue to emerge, including that of Mansi Harish, an assistant professor of mathematics at Himachal Pradesh University, and her husband Harish Verma. Another victim, mathematics professor PL Sharma, lost his life along with his wife Chitralekha and son Ishu. Currently, only Chitralekha’s body has been recovered.

Watch Himachal Pradesh: Several houses collapsed in landslides in Shimla’s Krishna Nagar and Lalpani areas