Flash Floods And Landslides Leave A Trail Of Destruction In Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand And J&K

Severe damage was caused in northern India on Sunday as heavy monsoon rain and strong winds wreaked havoc in the region.

Loss of life occurred in the hilly areas of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and J&K, as landslides and flash floods took a toll.

Additionally, fatalities were reported in the plains of UP, Punjab, and Rajasthan.

The Beas river in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh experienced flash floods that resulted in the destruction of numerous shops and vehicles.

Himachal was particularly hard-hit, with a red alert issued for seven districts due to the exceptionally heavy rainfall.

Tragically, Himachal Pradesh also saw seven lives lost due to four separate landslides.

In the Kotgarh area of Shimla district, three members of a family perished when their house collapsed following a landslide.

Furthermore, one death was reported each in Kullu and Chamba, while a woman and her son lost their lives in a mudslide in Shimla district.

In Doda district of J&K, a landslide occurred, tragically resulting in the deaths of two individuals.

In the Poonch district, the bodies of two soldiers who were swept away by flash floods while crossing the Dogra Nallah were found. In J&K and Ladakh, there were reports of snowfall, but Srinagar received some respite from heavy rainfall.

This allowed the pilgrimage to Shri Amarnath to resume from Panjtarni and Sheshnag base camps after a two-day suspension caused by rain.

The annual yatra commenced on 1 July, but due to severe weather conditions, over 650 pilgrims were left stranded on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand experienced six fatalities and significant disruptions due to heavy rains. Numerous villages in the mountainous regions of the state have become inaccessible by road due to cave-ins and landslides.

A tragic incident occurred in the town of Kashipur, where a couple lost their lives when the wall of their house collapsed.

Additionally, in Uttarkashi district, a 45-year-old head constable named Chaman Singh Tomar was killed after being struck by a falling rock. He had been managing traffic in the landslide-prone area on the Yamunotri highway.