Toll in Mandi cloudbursts rises to 11, 6 bodies recovered; CM announces compensation

The death toll from cloudbursts and flash flood-related incidents in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh has risen to 11 with the recovery of six additional bodies. The search for 34 missing people is underway, officials said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the weather department has warned of low to moderate flash-flood risk in parts of five districts of Chamba, Kangra Kullu, Mandi and Shimla in the next 24 hours.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who visited the disaster-hit Syathi village of Laungani Panchayat in Dharampur, announced a special relief package to assist in rebuilding damaged homes. Additionally, enhanced compensation will be provided for lost livestock and destroyed cow shelters. The state witnessed 11 cloudburst incidents, four flash floods and a major landslide on Tuesday, most of which occurred in Mandi district, disrupting normal life. Cloudbursts were recorded in four locations in Gohar, three in Karsog, two in Dharampur, and one in Thunag, Mandi. Two bodies were recovered in Siyanj, Gohar, and one each in Thunag, Dhar Jarol, and Pandeev Sheel areas, while one body was recovered from Neri-Kotla in Jogindernagar, officials said. The identities of the deceased have not yet been disclosed. On Tuesday, two deaths were recorded in Bada and one in Talwara, both in Gohar; one person died in Old Bazaar, Karsog; and another body was recovered at Neri-Kotla in Jogindernagar. A total of 245 roads were closed in the state following heavy rains, and 918 transformers and 683 water schemes were disrupted. Most of the damage was caused in Mandi, where 151 roads were blocked for vehicular movement and 489 transformers and 465 water schemes were affected as of Wednesday evening, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). Additionally, 148 houses, 104 cattle sheds, 31 vehicles, 14 bridges and several roads were damaged. A total of 162 cattle perished in the events, while 370 people, including 316 in Mandi, were rescued and 11 remain stranded, the SEOC added. Distraught locals recalled how they narrowly escaped after the entire village was swept away suddenly. They also informed the chief minister that they did not even have land left to pitch tents for shelter.

Sukhu, who also inspected the damage to the Mandi-Kotli road, assured that if any government land is available nearby, it will be allotted to those who lost their homes. ''In case the land nearby falls under forests, the matter will be taken up with the Union Government'', Sukhu added.

Expressing shock at how such an incident had never occurred before when eight to 10 cloudbursts happened in a single night, the chief minister called for an in-depth study to ascertain the reasons for landslides even at places having solid strata.

He also urged both the Central and state governments to collaboratively investigate the reasons behind these incidents. Efforts are underway to restore essential services in the affected areas and restore the roads. As many as 61 people have been affected by the cloudburst. So far, the district administration has provided immediate assistance of Rs 1.70 lakh as financial aid, rations, tarpaulins and other relief materials. Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, who also visited the affected area in his assembly constituency of Seraj, warned that the number of missing people could increase due to disrupted connectivity in the region. He also called for rations to be air-dropped in areas where roads have been damaged and there is no connectivity. The Jal Shakti Department reported damage to a total of 3,698 schemes, including 2,786 drinking water supply schemes, 733 irrigation schemes, and 41 sewerage schemes. The estimated damage has surpassed Rs 240 crore, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who also holds the portfolio of Jal Shakti, said. Agnihotri noted that restoration efforts are being conducted on a war footing, prioritising the resumption of drinking water and sewerage services, with 1,591 drinking water supply schemes having already been temporarily restored. Two teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), alongside police and home guards, are actively engaged in search and rescue operations in the district. Light to moderate rainfall continued in several regions of the state. Kasauli received 55 mm of rain since the previous evening, followed by Baggi with 54.8 mm, Dharampur with 38.8 mm, Mandi with 36.8 mm, Sarahan with 32 mm, Solan with 27.4 mm, Pandoh with 27 mm, Jubbarhatti with 26.2 mm, and Shimla with 24.2 mm. The Met Office issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rains in isolated areas across the state from Friday to Sunday. Narkanda was the coldest at night with a low of 13.4 degrees Celsius, while Una observed a significant rise in maximum temperature, reaching 36.2 degrees Celsius.

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