KULLU: Houses in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district have crumbled under the weight of landslides triggered by incessant rains. A distressing video captures the collapse, which occurred on August 24th in Anni town. Trapped individuals are feared to be buried beneath the debris. The unrelenting rainfall in Himachal Pradesh has incited a series of landslides, cloudbursts, and flash floods, wreaking havoc on the ecologically fragile mountainous region.
Meanwhile, the deluge on August 23rd rendered the Kullu-Mandi road inoperative, stranding hundreds of vehicles in the district. Kullu SP Sakshi Verma acknowledged, "Both routes connecting Kullu district to Mandi have suffered harm due to the downpour. The alternate path through Pandoh has also been compromised, and the Public Works Department is diligently working to restore accessibility..."
Additionally, Himachal's traffic police informed that the Kennedy-Annadale road has been obstructed due to a fallen tree, and a landslide near Chalnair has blocked NH-705 Theog-Hatkoti road.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded a red alert for substantial to exceedingly heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh over the ensuing 48 hours, as relayed by ANI news agency. The weather agency has also issued an orange alert for the same period, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall ranging from 115.6 to 204.4mm across the hilly state on August 24th.
Responding to the calamitous situation, the Himachal Pradesh Government has officially declared the entire state as a disaster-struck area. The latest data provided by the state authorities indicates an accumulated financial loss of Rs. 10,000 crore due to the relentless downpours. Notably, 2,022 houses have been completely razed, and 9,615 houses have suffered partial damage. The monsoon season has witnessed 113 instances of landslides. Tragically, the fury of the monsoons has claimed 224 lives, with an additional 117 fatalities resulting from road accidents, according to the government's official report.
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