Delhi, Himachal, Uttarakhand rains updates: Rescue operation under way to trace 45 missing people after cloudburst in Shimla

Rescue operations were under way to trace the missing people following the flash floods triggered by cloudbursts. With recovery of three more bodies, the death toll due to the flash floods in Nirmand, Sainj and Malana areas in Kullu, Padhar in Mandi and Rampur in Shimla districts of Himachal Pradesh has increased to eight.

“While five bodies were found in Rajban village in Mandi, one was found in Nirmand in Kullu and two in Rampur in Shimla. The two bodies recovered in Rajban were identified as that of Aman (9) and Aryan (8),” officials said.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu along with Education Minister Rohit Thakur visited Samej on the border of Shimla and Kullu district to take stock of the situation and talk to the victims. - PTI

“Two helpline numbers – 7579257572 and 01364-233387 – and one emergency number 112 have also been issued by the district administration to help people get information about their stranded family members and relatives among the pilgrims,” they said.

The pilgrims had got stranded beyond Bhimbali along Gaurikund-Kedarnath trek route when a 20-25 metre stretch of the road was washed out by the violent currents of the Mandakini on Wednesday night.

“The trek route to the Himalayan temple is blocked by boulders at Ghoraparav, Lincholi, Badi Lincholi and Bhimbali. However, the stranded pilgrims are safe,” officials said. About 5,000 food packets have been distributed among them. - PTI

The IAF’s Chinook and MI17 helicopters joined the rescue operations in Uttarakhand to evacuate pilgrims still stranded on the rain-ravaged trek route to Kedarnath.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said since the start of rescue operations on Thursday morning altogether 5,000 people have so far been evacuated to safety.

“They have either been airlifted or rescued manually by the SDRF and NDRF personnel,” he said. - PTI

Radheshyam Sharma, Director of Jaipur Meteorological Centre, on Friday said that the monsoon will stay active in Rajasthan for the next five to seven days. He also stated the formation of a new low-pressure system in Jharkhand, which is expected to impact various regions of Rajasthan in the coming days.

Mr. Sharma said, “A new low-pressure system is formed over Jharkhand. And in the next 24 hours, it will get more intense. After this, it will gradually pass through Eastern India, cross Madhya Pradesh and reach Eastern Rajasthan by August 3-4. A new spell of rain will begin in Eastern Rajasthan after 24 hours. Its effect will start in many districts of South-East Rajasthan, i.e. Kota and Udaipur divisions by August 3. The maximum impact of this system will be on August 3 and 4.”

He added, “During this period, there is a strong possibility of extremely heavy rainfall in the areas of Kota, Jaipur, Ajmer and Udaipur divisions. And Kota, Udaipur may report extremely heavy rainfall, that is, more than 200 mm of rain is likely to occur in Eastern Rajasthan on August 4.”

-ANI

“Central Government should in bipartisan manner provide financial assistance to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand where cloudbursts and accompanying landslides and floods have claimed nearly two dozen lives and several are still missing,” Congress leader Pramod Tiwari demanded in Rajya Sabha on August 2.

Raising the issue through a zero hour mention, he said six people have died and 50 are missing following cloudbursts in Shimla, Mandi and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh.

Three National Highways as well as dozens of other roads have shut due to flooding, stranding tourists and other commuters. In neighbouring Uttarakhand, 16 people have died and many are missing following heavy rains.

“Due to cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, 22 people have died and 60 are missing,” he said. He demanded that the Central Government should provide adequate financial assistance. “Last time, Himachal Pradesh was not given financial assistance,” he said. - PTI

In the wake of a catastrophic flood that has ravaged parts of Himachal Pradesh, Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut on Friday termed it as “saddening”. 

“It’s a very saddening thing for us. The life of people living in the mountains is tough. Every year such tragedies come and damage the lives and property of the people of Himachal Pradesh. The PM and the Union HM have taken reports for all the things and have given assurance that more help through relief funds will be provided. I’ll also meet different ministers to seek as much help as I can get. After my work is completed here, I’ll visit Himachal to meet people in their tough times,” Kangana Ranaut said. 

ANI

After heavy rains caused severe havoc in the state of Uttarakhand damaging the route in the Rudraprayag district, the restoration and rescue work is underway to evacuate the people stranded. All the departments in the state are in alert mode and the government is working in the best possible way to tackle the situation, said the Uttarakhand Chief Minister, adding that he has been assured assistance from Prime Minister Modi. 

PM Modi has assured me that I will provide the best possible assistance. Mi helicopters have already been sent. Union HM Amit Shah, BJP president J.P. Nadda and other Ministers of the Central Govt are in contact with us,” CM Dhami told ANI. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami over the phone to enquire about the relief and rescue operations underway in the wake of damages caused by heavy rain in different parts of the State.

In a post on X, Mr. Dhami said the Home Minister was given detailed information about the operations that are being carried out on war-footing in the rain-hit areas.

Mr. Dhami also thanked Mr. Shah for assuring him of all possible help in dealing with the situation. 

In the wake of a catastrophic flood that has ravaged parts of Himachal Pradesh, the state government, led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has mobilized extensive rescue and relief efforts. 

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, addressing the media amidst ongoing rescue operations, emphasized the gravity of the situation. “The rescue and relief operation is underway in full swing,” he stated, highlighting the urgent need to locate and rescue those still trapped and missing. 

ANI

Fear of death kept us awake all night as we climbed to a mountain to stay safe, residents of Rajban village in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district said on Friday, two days after a cloudburst left three people dead and seven missing. 

According to officials, bodies of Chandi Devi (75), Chaitri Devi (90) and Baijru Ram (80) were recovered and an injured person (25-year-old Ram Singh) was rescued in serious condition on Thursday.

“Bodies of my father-in-law and mother-in-law have been recovered but my son, my brother-in-law, his wife and their six-year-old son and two-month-old daughter are still missing,” a wailing woman told PTI Videos.

“I live above the hill but my son was with his grandparents,” she added. 

“We rushed out of our houses after hearing screams of people and found that houses nearby have been swept in landslides and flash floods,” another villager said.

“Fear of death kept us awake all night as we climbed to a mountain to stay safe,” the villager added. 

PTI

Rescue operations were underway on Friday to trace over 45 people missing following flash floods triggered by cloudbursts in three districts of Himachal Pradesh, while 29 people stranded at the site of a power project in the state were brought to safety overnight, officials said.

Cloudbursts in Nirmand, Sainj and Malana areas in Kullu, Padhar in Mandi and Rampur in Shimla districts on Wednesday had left five people dead and over 45 missing. 

Thirty-three people were also stuck in Malana II power project in Manikaran area of Kullu district. 

PTI

The Indian Air Force has deployed one Chinook and Mi-17V5 helicopter to carry out human assistance and relief operations in the Kedar valley of Uttarakhand. 

They will be working in coordination with the State government authorities, said Defence officials. 

The rescue and relief work to evacuate the people stranded is underway. 

ANI

Six weather stations across Delhi recorded over 100 mm of rain in a single day, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday, categorising it as an “extremely intense spell”.

During a press conference, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, clarified that the intense rain witnessed in the city was not a cloudburst.

According to the IMD, the city’s primary weather station, Safdarjung, recorded 107 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. Other stations, which also received significant rainfall, included Mayur Vihar (147 mm), Najafgarh and Ridge (113 mm), Lodi Road (106 mm) and Delhi University (104 mm), it said.

In contrast, other stations like Pusa recorded 86 mm, Aaya Nagar (71 mm) and the Palam observatory (68.3 mm) of rain, as per the IMD data. Mohapatra explained that the IMD had initially placed Delhi on an ‘orange’ alert but as the situation intensified, the alert level was upgraded to ‘red’.

“Yesterday’s condition was not a cloudburst, it was an extremely intense spell,” he added. 

The weather office has issued a ‘yellow’ alert for Thursday and Friday as light to moderate rain is expected in the city. 

PTI

Heavy rains severely damaged the route in the Rudraprayag district on Wednesday night. The rescue and relief work to evacuate the people stranded is underway.

According to the Uttarakhand police, as many as 737 people were rescued by helicopter and at least 2,670 people were taken to Sonprayag by the relief forces as of Thursday.