Five killed as heavy rains lash Himachal Pradesh

Heavy rains pounded Himachal Pradesh, triggering landslides, damaging houses and leaving five people dead.

Heavy rains pounded Himachal Pradesh, triggering landslides, damaging houses and leaving five people dead, officials said on July 9.

Three members of a family were killed in a house collapse following a landslide due to rains in Kotgarh area of Shimla district. The deceased were identified as Anil, his wife Kiran and son Swapnil, officials said.

A landslide also damaged a makeshift house near Kullu town, leaving a woman dead.

In another incident, a person was buried alive following a landslide in Katiyan tehsil of Chamba on Saturday night.

Thirteen landslides and nine flash floods have been reported in the State in the past 36 hours, according to the State emergency operation centre.

As many as 736 roads have been closed for traffic while 1,743 transformers and 138 water supply schemes were affected on Sunday morning.

National Highway 21 is blocked at 6 mile (name of the place). This is the same place where the commuters were struck for almost 24 hours on June 27 last due to a landslide. Mandi-Kullu road via Kamand was also blocked near Ghoda farm. The Manali-Chandigarh also caved in near Manali.