The most recent victim, Eish Sharma (28), was discovered amidst the rubble of a collapsed temple, officials said. His father, P. L. Sharma, who served as the chairman of the mathematics department at Himachal Pradesh University, was found dead on August 17, PTI reported. Of the 78 reported fatalities since Sunday night, 24 occurred in the three major landslides in Shimla, with 17 at the Shiv temple in Summer Hill, 5 in Fagli, and 2 in Krishnanagar due to major landslides, as per Superintendent Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi.

Rescue operations involving the Army, National and State Disaster Response Forces, Police, and Home Guards are ongoing to recover bodies from landslide debris. There are still concerns that three individuals still remain buried under the temple’s debris. To aid in identifying high-risk areas and monitoring landslide sites, drones are being deployed in the state capital.

Also read: Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand reeling from devastating monsoon, massive damage and loss of life. 10 updates

Since the onset of the monsoon season in Himachal Pradesh on June 24, 338 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents and road accidents, with 38 individuals still missing, according to the state’s emergency operation centre. Of these, 221 people have perished directly due to rain-related incidents.

The damage assessment reveals that approximately 11,900 houses have been partially or completely damaged, around 560 roads remain closed, and 253 transformers and 107 water supply schemes have been disrupted. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, while surveying the flood-affected areas of Indora and Fatehpur assembly constituencies in Kangra district, estimated a loss of over ₹10,000 crore for Himachal Pradesh. He noted that the state has witnessed 350 casualties and 50 people are still missing.

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The local Meteorological (MeT) office has issued an orange warning for heavy to very heavy rains on August 20 and 21, and a yellow alert for heavy rains on August 22 and 23. The MeT has also cautioned of a moderate to high risk of flash floods in Shimla, Sirmaur, and Chamba districts. Such heavy rainfall poses the threat of landslides, flash floods, and rising river levels, potentially damaging crops, fruit plants, and seedlings.

To address the crisis, the Himachal Pradesh government has declared the state a “Natural Calamity Affected Area” due to the extensive damage caused by heavy rains, urging the central government to declare it a national disaster. This has been described as the most devastating natural calamity in the state in the past 50 years. Deputy Chief Minister Agnihotri highlighted significant losses incurred by various departments, including over ₹2,000 crore by the Jal Shakti Department.

He also emphasised the plight of residents in Indora and Fatehpur, particularly in the Mand area, who have been severely affected by the rising water levels of the Beas river. Illegal mining has been identified as a major contributor to the devastating floods in these areas, eroding riverbanks and diverting water towards villages and fields.

To prevent such incidents in the future, a phased channelisation plan for the Beas River has been proposed to the central government. Furthermore, departments such as public works, electricity, and Jal Shakti have been instructed to expedite relief efforts in the affected regions.

(With inputs from PTI)

Updated: 20 Aug 2023, 07:05 AM IST