Dharamshala, Parts of Himachal Pradesh Witness Flash Floods, Very Heavy Rains; IMD Officials Deny Cloudburst
Dharamshala: Flash floods triggered by sudden heavy rains in India`s hilly state of Himachal Pradesh killed two persons, as rescue teams saved five people from the affected area late on Monday (July 12).
At least two people were dead and nine missing after heavy rains in a hilly northern Indian state triggered landslides and flash floods that destroyed homes, damaged roads and swept away cars.
About 50 workers from the National Disaster Response Force and local responders have been deployed to look for survivors in the hard-hit Boh valley in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, said Nipun Jindal, the district`s deputy commissioner.
The fast-moving flood waters ripped away buildings` foundations and threatened to wash away roads. Residents gathered outside in the rain, hauling their belongings away from the flooding.
Straddling the Himalayan foothills, Kangra is home to the Tibetan government in exile based in the city of Dharamshala and is a popular tourist destination.
Television footage from Monday`s flooding showed swirling brown waters flowing through narrow streets at a settlement near Dharamshala, sweeping away a large car that was caught in the torrent. In another area, flood waters had damaged several homes abutting a stream, forcing residents out on the streets.
In recent weeks, thousands of tourists have thronged to hillside destinations in northern India, including Dharamshala, prompting warnings from authorities to maintain COVID-19 precautions after a catastrophic second wave of infections in the country.
