Landslides, flash floods leave trail of destruction in Himachal

A total of 690 roads were closed in the state as of Tuesday morning, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said. Of the roads closed, 320 are in the Mandi district and 132 in Kullu.

The local meteorological office has issued a red alert, warning of heavy to very heavy rain in Kangra, Chamba, and Mandi districts on Tuesday.

It has also issued an orange alert for heavy rain at isolated areas in Mandi, Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur districts on Friday and Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Shimla districts on Saturday. Strong currents of the Beas river washed away a multi-storey hotel and four shops in Kullu district’s Manali in the early hours of Tuesday.

Meanwhile, approximately two dozen shops and restaurants, including the iconic Sher-E-Punjab in Manali, situated on the banks of the Beas, were washed away. Only the facade of Sher-E-Punjab was intact.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Shimla, Manali received 102.0 mm of rainfall on Monday night — the third highest in the state after Naina Devi (160.8 mm) in Bilaspur and Bhattiyat (125.2 mm) in Chamba. On Tuesday, Manali recorded another 10 cm of rainfall.

Kullu Deputy Commissioner Torul S Raveesh said, “Infrastructure in both Kullu and Manali has been severely damaged. At least two bridges, including a Bailey bridge at Patlikuhal, were washed away. These bridges were vital in connecting several small villages to the main road and NH-305.”

The Beas River and its tributaries are currently flowing at dangerously elevated levels. Multiple landslides have blocked the Kullu-Manali highway.