Manju Warrier and the crew were in Himachal Pradesh shooting for a film.
Highlights
- Manju Warrier, filmmaker Sanal Kumar, crew were stuck in Chattru
- She called up her brother through a satellite phone
- Heavy rain, landslides led blocked many key roads in Himachal Pradesh
Malayalam superstar Manju Warrier and her film crew were among those stranded in Himachal Pradesh as flash floods and landslides blocked roads in many parts of the state. Three days of heavy rain led to snapping of several key road links. They have been rescued and are being moved to safety, the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister said.
Around 30 to 40 people, including Manju Warrier, filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan and the crew of a film they were shooting for were stuck in the hill state's Chattru. Around 200 people were stuck in the flood-affected area.
"They were taken out of the area a short while ago and sent in vehicles safely. They were warned earlier. But perhaps they didn't pay attention to the request and insisted (on staying back)," Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur told reporters.
The actress managed to call her brother on Monday night at around 9 pm through a satellite phone as telephone lines were not working.
She said they were running out of food and other essentials which were likely to last just another day, according to the brother Madhu Warrier.
The brother then reached out to junior foreign minister V Muraleedharan who is from Kerala. "The minister has assured me of all help and said he is in touch with the Himachal Chief Minister," Madhu Warrier said.
"Spoke to Shri @jairamthakurbjp ji, Hon'ble CM of Himachal Pradesh on the Malayalam film crew stuck in Chatru. Mandi district administration is in touch with the stranded crew members. Evacuation efforts are on to bring them back to Manali by today evening," Mr Muraleedharan tweeted. The minister later tweeted that the crew has decided to stay back in Chattru till the shoot is completed.
26 people died and two were reported missing in the state in rain-related incidents in the past three days.
There was an estimated loss of Rs 20 crore to both public and private property in the state.
The weather department has predicted heavy rain in isolated places for the next few days.
Authorities said excess water was discharged from the Pandoh diversion dam, located 112 km upstream of Pong dam, as a precautionary measure.
The Pandoh diversion dam is located on the Beas river in Mandi district. It diverts excess monsoon water towards the Pong dam. Otherwise, it diverts water towards the Satluj river which feeds the Gobind Sagar reservoir of the Bhakra dam.
Manju Warrier began her career in 1995, and in a short span of four years, she acted in 20 films.
She returned to acting in 2014 and her first release, "How Old Are You", was a runaway success. With the success of that film, she got numerous offers including those from other south Indian languages.