SOLAN: Seven members of a family were killed in a cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district while 15 to 20 people were feared buried in two landslides in Shimla city as rain wreaked havoc in the state.
The incident of cloudburst was reported at Jadon village of Kandaghat subdivision in Solan district of the state, Siddhartha Acharya, Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Kandaghat said.
Two houses in Solan were washed away following the cloudburst on Sunday night. While six people were rescued, seven others were killed in Jadon village, a police official said.
Those dead have been identified as Harnam (38), Kamal Kishore (35), Hemlata (34), Rahul (14), Neha (12), Golu (8) and Raksha (12), Superintendent of Police, Solan, Gaurav Singh said.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed condolences over the deaths and directed authorities to ensure all possible assistance and support.
"Devastated to hear about the loss of 7 precious lives in the tragic cloudburst incident at village Jadon, Dhawla Sub Tehsil in Solan district heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving families. We share in your pain and sorrow during this difficult time. We have directed the authorities to ensure all possible assistance and support to the affected families during this trying period," CM Sukhu posted on the ‘X’ app.
Incessant showers in Himachal Pradesh over the past 24 hours have triggered landslides, blocking several roads, including the Shimla-Chandigarh road which was closed for buses and trucks.
In view of the heavy rains, the Himachal Pradesh Government on Sunday informed that the Himachal Pradesh University has cancelled all the ongoing examinations of Post Graduate classes scheduled on August 14.
Chief Minister Sukhu has taken this decision in view of the safety of the students due to heavy rains. On the orders of the Chief Minister, the Education Secretary has issued a notification to keep all government, private schools and colleges closed on August 14.
The CM has instructed the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary as well as all district collectors to keep a close watch on the situation created due to heavy rains. The administrative staff should be alert and maintain smooth arrangements for roads, electricity and water, he said.
READ | Himachal suffered losses of about Rs 8,000 crore due to rain: CM Sukhu