Two people died and 20 others are feared swept after multiple cloudbursts triggered flash floods across several districts of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday. According to the media reports, two bodies were recovered from the Manuni Khad in Kangra district. Around 15 to 20 workers are feared to have been swept away near the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric Project site following a sudden surge in the Khaniyara Manuni Khad. Work at the site had been suspended due to continuous rainfall. The labourers were resting in temporary shelters when floodwaters from the Manuni Khad and nearby drains rushed into their colony. Search and rescue operations are being carried out by the State Disaster Response Force along with the local administration, gram panchayat and revenue department.
Meanwhile, three people went missing after multiple cloudbursts caused flash floods in Kullu district. Homes, shops, roads and bridges were damaged. A school building was also affected. Cloudbursts were reported in Jeeva Nallah and Rehla Bihal in Sainj and Shilagarh in the Gadsa area. According to the reports, three people from Rehla Bihal went missing while trying to retrieve belongings from their homes. Flash floods were also reported from Manali and Banjar subdivisions. In Banjar, floodwaters washed away a bridge in Hornagad and entered a government school. The Manali-Chandigarh National Highway suffered partial damage after the swollen Beas River eroded part of the road near Manali. Traffic is still moving through the affected area. In Lahaul-Spiti, landslides and overflowing drains blocked the road from Kaza to Samdoh.
The weather department recorded heavy to very heavy rainfall across the state. Palampur received the highest rainfall with 145.5 millimetres, followed by Jogindernagar with 113 millimetres. Nahan, Baijnath and Poanta Sahib also reported significant rain. Sundernagar and Kangra experienced thunderstorms while Tabo recorded gusty winds reaching 56 kilometres per hour. Kukumseri in Lahaul-Spiti was the coldest location on Wednesday with a temperature of 13.1 degrees Celsius. Una was the hottest at 33.6 degrees, the meteorological department said. The Met office has warned of low to moderate flash flood risk in Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla and Sirmaur until Thursday evening. An orange alert has been issued for heavy rain in up to seven districts until June 29.