Himachal Pradesh, which has received over 46 percent more rainfall than normal this monsoon season, continued to reel under natural disasters on Tuesday, with landslides, flash floods, and multiple incidents of house and building collapses reported across the state.
Against a normal seasonal rainfall of 692 mm till mid-September, the state has already recorded 1,010 mm – significantly higher than its average total monsoon rainfall of around 734 mm.
In Mandi district, a house collapsed in Nihri village. Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan confirmed that three bodies had been recovered, while two others were rescued.
State capital Shimla also reported multiple landslides and cave-ins near multi-storeyed housing complexes, posing a threat to residents and infrastructure.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu chaired a high-level virtual review meeting with Deputy Commissioners of affected districts and directed immediate relief and rehabilitation measures. He stressed the urgent evacuation of people from unsafe buildings to prevent further tragedies and ordered the restoration of damaged roads and water supply schemes on priority. He also instructed officials to ensure the availability of essential commodities in disaster-hit areas.
Expressing condolences, the Chief Minister said, “The government stands in solidarity with the aggrieved families in this hour of grief,” and directed the Mandi administration to provide immediate assistance to the next of kin of the deceased.
(IANS)