Maroc - POPDIARIES.COM - A La Une - 03/Aug 08:00

Devastating Cloudbursts Hit Uttarakhand and Himachal: 23 Dead, Highways in Chaos!

Uttarakhand, Himachal Cloudbursts At least 23 people—15 in Uttarakhand and eight in neighboring Himachal Pradesh—have died due to cloudbursts in the twin Himalayan states. Rescue operations have intensified to search for survivors, and key highways have been blocked by landslides triggered by heavy rain. More rainfall is predicted to hit the two states in the next few days. In Himachal Pradesh, rescuers deployed drones to access areas cut off by landslides and debris following Thursday's cloudbursts. The Indian Air Force (IAF) used Chinook and MI17 helicopters to evacuate 800 pilgrims stranded on the rain-ravaged trek route to Kedarnath. These pilgrims may be evacuated today if the weather permits.  In Himachal Pradesh, three bodies have been recovered, bringing the total death toll to eight. The cloudbursts triggered flash floods in Nirmand, Sainj, and Malana areas in Kullu, Mandi’s Padhar, and Shimla’s Rampur subdivision. Rescuers are racing against time to find 45 people missing after the cloudbursts. According to the state emergency operation center, 103 houses have been completely or partially damaged in three districts, along with six motorable and 32 footbridges, shops, schools, and vehicles in the past 36 hours. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu announced immediate relief of Rs 50,000 for the victims. Additionally, the victims will receive Rs 5,000 per month for rent for the next three months, along with gas, food, and other essentials. The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway has been closed at three places since last night due to landslides between Mandi and Pandoh, causing traffic jams on the highway. Small vehicles have been redirected to an alternate road via Kataula and Gohar. National Highway 5 (Rampur-Kinnour) is blocked at Nigulsari, and National Highway 305 connecting Luhari-Banjar and Kullu is also blocked due to landslides. The meteorological office in Shimla is sued a yellow alert for heavy rain, thunderstorms, and lightning in isolated places in ten districts of Himachal Pradesh until August 6. The weather department also warned of potential landslides and flash floods in vulnerable areas, damage to plantations, standing crops, and houses due to strong winds, and waterlogging in low-lying areas. A total of 115 roads—46 in Mandi, 38 in Kullu, 15 in Shimla, six each in Kangra and Sirmaur, three in Kinnaur, and one in Lahaul and Spiti—were closed to vehicular traffic following heavy rainfall in the state. Additionally, 225 transformers and 111 water supply schemes have been affected. The Himachal Roads Transport Corporation (HRTC) has suspended bus services on 82 out of the total 3,612 routes, according to Managing Director Rohan Chand Thakur. Meanwhile, eight schoolchildren are missing from Rampur Samej village in Himachal Pradesh, according to school principal Arvind. Of the eight missing, seven are girls and one is a boy. The students were local residents and badminton and volleyball players.  In Uttarakhand, 15 people have died due to cloudbursts in Kedarnath, Tehri, Chamoli, Dehradun, and Haridwar districts. So far, 7,234 pilgrims have been rescued from the route to Kedarnath, where the yatra has been suspended due to a cloudburst. Kedarnath rescue operations are set to resume today as soon as the weather improves, aiming to evacuate all remaining stranded pilgrims. Over 800 pilgrims in Kedarnath are scheduled to be airlifted and manually rescued today. The IAF's Chinook and MI17 helicopters have been pressed into service, and NDRF, SDRF, and Uttarakhand Police officials are actively involved in rescuing the pilgrims and searching for missing people. Authorities have provided food and water to the stranded pilgrims, who are safely sheltered in relief camps in Kedarnath, Bheembali, and Gaurikund posts. The death toll rose to 15 after one person drowned in an overflowing river in Dehradun on Friday, and another body was recovered from Rudraprayag last evening. Since July 31, over 300 roads have been blocked, including one national highway. Efforts are underway to clear the blocked routes, with 191 road closures still pending. A massive operation involving 340 JCBs and Pokland machines has been deployed to restore access and ensure connectivity. A total of 712 houses have been partially damaged due to cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides. Of these, 146 houses have been severely damaged, while 14 houses have been completely destroyed. The weather office has issued a heavy rainfall alert for Chamoli and Bageshwar districts, as well as intense rainfall in Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar districts for Saturday.