In the midst of intense rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, water from the overflowing Beas river has inundated Pandoh village in Mandi district, resulting in a bridge that connects Aut village to Banjar being washed away. Over the past few days, the state in the northern region has been experiencing heavy rainfall, causing the Beas river to surge with force.
Scary visuals have surfaced online showing the destruction of the bridge and water entering the Pandoh village.
Watch:
In response to this situation, the weather department has issued a red alert for the next two days in Himachal Pradesh.
According to the Mandi Police, landslides and rock slides from the mountains near Shani Mandir Aut have led to the closure of the Mandi-Kullu National Highway. ANI reported that the Mandi Police stated, "Mandi-Kullu road via Kataul closed due to landslides. Pandoh-Gohar-Chalchowk-Baggy-Sundernagar road open but heavy vehicular movement restricted."
In a rescue operation conducted by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), six individuals trapped in their homes due to the rising water level of the Beas River in the lower market of Pandoh were safely evacuated, as reported by ANI.
ANI also reported that train services on the Shimla-Kalka heritage rail track have been canceled for Sunday due to heavy rains, landslides, and waterlogging. The section of the railway track between Koti and Sanwara stations at Tunnel No. 10 has been closed due to substantial rainfall on the Kalka-Shimla route, according to the HP Traffic, Tourist, and Railways Police. IMD has forecasted rain in the state until July 13.
Officials cited by PTI reported that the continuous downpour has disrupted the normal lives of residents, leading to flash floods and landslides in various regions, resulting in the loss of five lives. In Shimla district's Kotgarh area, three members of a family were killed when their house collapsed due to a landslide caused by the rains. Furthermore, a woman died when a landslide damaged a makeshift house near Kullu town. In another incident, a person was buried alive in a landslide in Katiyan tehsil of Chamba on Saturday night, according to PTI.
Due to the increased water level and flooding in the Beas River, traffic has come to a halt in Mandi and Kullu. Landslides have also led to restricted vehicular movement on National Highway 3 from Mandi to Kullu. ANI reported that a car was swept away in the Beas River near Kullu due to the rising water level caused by heavy rains.
Rescue operations are underway in various areas to assist those stranded due to the persistent rainfall and flash floods in the state. ANI reported that Kullu Police mentioned the complete halt of vehicle movement from Kullu and Manali towards Atal Tunnel and Rohtang due to falling stones along the Kullu-Manali road and the rising water level of the Beas River near Ramshila.
