Two killed as heavy rain lashes Himachal; State incurs ₹78-lakh damage in 24 hours

The State suffered estimated losses of ₹78 lakh in the past 24 hours, it said.

Flash floods triggered by a cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh's Solan and Hamirpur districts and heavy rain in Shimla, Mandi and Kullu on Sunday killed two people, damaged crops, homes and vehicles, and washed away livestock.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre on Sunday, one person drowned in Hamirpur and Shimla district each. The rain also damaged 11 houses and vehicles each as well as four cowsheds.

The State suffered estimated losses of ₹78 lakh in the past 24 hours, it said.

Three houses were damaged in Lahaul and Spiti, five in Hamirpur, two in Solan and one in Mandi. Eight vehicles were damaged in Kullu, two in Lahaul and Spiti and one in Sirmaur.

Uprooted trees blocked traffic on 126 roads, including two national highways. Power supply was also disrupted as 141 transformers suffered damage, emergency centre officials said.

Following the cloudburst, water gushed into four homes and also damaged the panchayat building in the Kheri area of Sujanpur subdivision of Hamirpur district.

According to the latest information, six people are trapped by the waters of the Beas river near Khanuali village and machinery worth lakhs of the Dhaulasidh Power Project have been washed away due to heavy flow of water in the river.