Monsoon fury: Landslides, cloudburst claim 19 lives in Mandi

Tribune News Service

Dipender Manta

Mandi, August 14

Heavy rain for the past three days has led to widespread death and destruction in Mandi district, where several villages at Balh valley have been inundated and some houses badly damaged. As many as 19 persons lost their lives in the monsoon fury across the district during the day today.

A cloudburst occurred in the morning at Sambhal village near 8 Mile along the Chandigarh-Manali highway in Mandi in which six persons were swept away. Among the victims were three labourers of a construction company and one woman and two children of one family. According to the police, six labourers were sleeping under a shed at Sambhal when a cloudburst occurred. Of the six, three labourers succeeded in saving their lives by running to a safe place, while the rest were washed away.

A flashflood hit the nearby house, in which six persons were living. In this incident, a woman lost her daughter, daughter-in-law and granddaughter, who were washed away. However, the bodies of all six are untraced. A few vehicles were also swept away from the roadside in the area.

“The second major incident was reported under Shegli panchayat, where seven persons died on the spot, while six others were injured when a landslide hit a house,” the police said.

In Dharampur area, Prabhas Rana, a social activist and former pradhan of gram panchayat Tanihar died during a rescue operation at Nalyana village. He succeeded in saving the lives of seven persons of two families from their house but he himself was caught inside the house during a landslide incident. One woman died at Narayan village due to a landslide, Mandi ASP Sagar Chander said.

“One woman died at Dadh village under police station Maseran in Sarkaghat due to a cloudburst. A 22-year-old youth died at Malvana village of Balh following a cloudburst, which damaged his house. One woman was killed at Sakore village in a landslide. One person perished in a cloudburst at Nihri village, while two children are missing,” he added.

Following frequent landslides on the Chandigarh-Manali highway, the district administration is finding it difficult to reach Sambhal village which has been cut off from both sides from Mandi and Pandoh. The Chandigarh-Manali highway has been shut for traffic between Mandi and Kullu since Friday, while alternative routes between Mandi and Kullu were also blocked.

The Mandi- Pathankot highway is also shut for traffic due to a landslide at Magal and Guma in Mandi. The road to Prashar is blocked, where a road bridge was washed away at Bagi nullah.

Over 300 roads were blocked in Mandi district, while over 1,500 electricity transformers are disrupted. Due to blockade of roads supply of milk, vegetables, fruits and other items has been affected in the district.

Apart from this, several houses are on the verge of collapse in different parts of the district due to landslides. Mandi DC Arindam Chaudhary said the district administration is assessing the losses.

Social activist dies after saving 7 lives

• In Dharampur area, a social activist died during a rescue operation at Nalyana village. He succeeded in saving the lives of seven persons of two families from their house but he himself was caught inside the house when a landslide occured
• Six persons were swept away in a cloudburst at Sambhal village near 8 Mile along the Chandigarh-Manali highway. Sambhal village has been cut off from both sides from Mandi and Pandoh
• A flashflood hit the nearby house, in which six persons were washed away. The bodies are untraced
• In Shegli panchayat, seven persons died on the spot, while six others were critically injured when a landslide hit one house

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