Heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh have caused significant damage in Chamba, triggering flash floods at around 2 AM on Tuesday. The natural disaster and the debris with it left more than 50 houses damaged.
Many houses were filled with mud and water, while several remain at risk of landslides. The vigilant residents avoided any casualties by taking refuge in safe places before the tragedy struck after midnight.
The areas that suffered heavy damage due to the rain that occurred on Monday night are Kasakada Mohalla, Surada Mohalla, Sultanpur, Obdi, Gholti, Sarol, Tadoli, Udaipur, adjoining the district headquarters.
Rocks and trees fell on the houses, cars were buried
As per information, rocks fell upon the roofs of houses. Trees were also uprooted and fell into streets and homes. Additionally, a dozen vehicles parked on the roads were buried under debris.
Spent the whole night soaked in the rain
People in several areas were forced to spend the entire night drenched in the rain. When the heavy rain began after 2 AM, the water level in the drain adjacent to homes rose, which prompted the residents to come out and divert the flow of water. As the rain intensified, debris and stones also began to flow with the water, after which people moved to safer places.
Contact with headquarters was lost
Due to heavy rains, roads in Tadoli, Gholti, and Sarol, which were adjacent to the district headquarters, were blocked, cutting communication to various areas of Chamba and the district headquarters. Besides the national highway, the Chamba-Tisa and Saluni-Bhalei main roads were closed, resulting in long queues of vehicles. Buses were also unable to reach the headquarters.
IMD issued alert
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange and a red alert of heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh during the next 24 hours. Weather experts have issued a warning of landslides and flash floods. Meteorological Centre Shimla has predicted heavy to very heavy rain in many districts of the state till July 30. A warning has been issued to the people regarding this.
A serious warning of flood in Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur and Solan districts during the next 24 hours. Meanwhile, a holiday has been declared in the schools tomorrow on July 30 in Nahan sub-division of Sirmaur district.
CM Sukhu puts officials on alert
Given the alert, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed officials to remain on alert. On Tuesday, intermittent rain fell across the state, including Shimla.