Video: Landslide Washes Away 4 Houses Perched On Hillside In Shimla
At least 55 people have lost their lives in Himachal Pradesh so far.
Shimla:
At least four houses perched on a hillside in Shimla have been washed away by a landslide caused by heavy rain, which has been battering parts of Himachal Pradesh since last week.
The incident took place in the city’s Krishna Nagar area around 5.30 pm today. A disturbing video of the landslide shows a tree leaning precariously and then falling on one of the houses, whose roof gets damaged. There’s a heart-stopping pause for a few seconds until the ground gives way, sending the damaged house and at least three others crashing down the hill.
Several people are feared trapped in the debris, and rescue operations are underway.
At least 55 people have lost their lives in Himachal Pradesh after heavy rainfall triggered landslides, cloudbursts and blocked roads. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu spoke to all the district magistrates to take stock of the devastation, his office told news agency ANI.
Earlier in the day, Mr Sukhu said the death count is likely to go up and that Solan, Shimla, Mandi, and Hamirpur are among the worst-affected districts in the state.
“Around 55 people have lost their lives in the state till now. The death toll might go up. Restoration work is being done on a war footing. Chandigarh-Shimla 4-lane highway along with other arterial roads has been opened,” the ANI report quoted Mr Sukhu as saying.
The chief minister said Union Home Minister had Amit Shah assured him of all help and that an Army helicopter has been deployed in Shimla.
An account of the Indian military posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force had rescued over 150 people from affected areas in the state today.
Helicopters of @hqwaciaf recommenced relief operations in Himachal Pradesh today in the wake of recent rains. Over 150 citizens were rescued from various affected areas.@CMOHimachal@SpokespersonMoD@DefenceMinIndia@IAF_MCCpic.twitter.com/03Cc0TDcdY
— PRO Defence Palam (@DefencePROPalam) August 15, 2023
The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted isolated heavy rainfall over Himachal Pradesh for the next two days and over Uttarakhand and northeast India for the next four to five days.
The heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand is the result of a fresh spell of western disturbance. “The location of the Monsoon trough lies along the foothills of the Himalayas and hence the South-westerly Arabian Sea monsoonal winds are hitting the Himalayan foothills,” said the weather office.
