Flashflood after a cloudburst near Bharmour in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. (Video grab)
Rain and cloudbursts caused landslides across Himachal Pradesh today, leading to two deaths in Kullu district, besides damage and disruption at other places. At Bharmour in Chamba, the Hindu pilgrimage of Manimahesh was halted due to flashfloods caused by a cloudburst — videos of which went viral — the second time in a week.
In Kullu, Chavelu Devi (55) and Kritika (17) died when their house at Khadel in Anni subdivision was hit by debris following a landslide around 9 am, said Sudesh Mokhta, director of the state disaster management department.
In Deuthi village in the same area, 10 shops and three vehicles were washed away following a cloudburst and flash floods earlier this morning, around 7.30 am. An old bus stand and a panchayat building are also facing the risk of being washed away in the village. Revenue department officials are assessing the situation, Mr Mokhta added.
The national highway to Kullu from Mandi was blocked, too, following a landslide near Pandoh in the morning. Traffic has been diverted through Kataula.
In the cloudburst at Bharmour in Chamba, heavy machinery and a store of a construction company were washed away near Ala Nullah. A similar incident a week ago had killed a teenager in this district.
Near the state capital Shimla, three cars and a pickup vehicle were washed in floods due to torrential rains near Chopal.
Similar reports came in from Lahaul-Spiti, further up from Kullu.