Shimla (PTI): Six people were killed and 13 others were feared dead in separate incidents of flash flood and landslide triggered by heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh, officials said on Saturday.
Twenty-two people, who were stranded following a flash flood in the state's Hamirpur district, were evacuated safely, they said.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed condolences over the deaths and said that administration is carrying out rescue operations on war-footing in the affected districts.
According to officials, three people were killed after their house collapsed following a landslide triggered by rains in Chamba district.
The Chamba district emergency operation centre (DEOC) said the landslide occurred at Banet village in Chowari tehsil around 4.30 am following which a house collapsed, killing three people.
In Mandi, a girl was killed and 13 others were feared dead in a landslide and flash flood triggered by heavy rains, officials said.
The body of a girl was recovered about half-a-km away from her house in Baghi Nullah on Mandi-Katola-Prashar road on Friday night, while five members of her family were washed away, state disaster management department officials said.
Several families also left their houses located between Baghi to Old Katola areas after a cloud burst and took shelter at safe places, the department added.
Besides, eight members of another family are also feared buried under the debris of their house following a landslide at Kashan village in Gohar development block, the department added.
However, the bodies have not been retrieved yet, it said.
Several roads in Mandi district have also been blocked following flash flood and multiple landslides.
Several vehicles were damaged and a number of villagers were stuck in their houses as water entered their houses and shops at Balh, Sadar, Thunag, Mandi and Lamathach, officials said.
Schools in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district will remain closed on Saturday due to ongoing incessant rains, a senior administration official said.
Several vehicles parked along the road were damaged and residents remained stuck inside their houses, they said.
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Ranchi: Champai Soren, a prominent figure in Jharkhand’s statehood movement, is contesting the 2024 assembly elections from Seraikela, a seat he has consistently held since 1991.
However, there is a surprising shift in his political journey this year. Having resigned from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) earlier this year, Soren is now representing the BJP, a move that could significantly impact the electoral dynamics in the state.
Soren’s switiching is seen as a strategic benefit for the saffron party, which has been working to expand its appeal among Jharkhand’s tribal communities, a demographic traditionally aligned with the JMM. His departure from the JMM, led by Shibu Soren and his son Hemant Soren, was fueled by dissatisfaction with the state government’s policies, which he claimed had failed to address tribal concerns.
Also known as "Jharkhand’s Tiger" for his instrumental role in the statehood movement of the 1990s, Champai Soren has respect and influence among tribal voters. His decision to switch the party could be a turning point in the BJP’s efforts to gain a stronger hold in a state where tribal votes often decide the outcome.