3 killed in house collapse following landslide in Chamba

Shimla, August 20

Three people were killed after their house collapsed following a landslide triggered by rains in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district on Saturday morning, officials said.

Several vehicles were also damaged and a number of villagers were stuck as water entered their houses following a flash flood in the state’s Mandi district, they said.

Officials of 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.

Three people were killed in the incident, they said, adding that their bodies have been recovered.

In Mandi, water entered several houses and shops at Balh, Sadar, Thunag, Mandi and Lamathach following flash flood at 4.15 am, officials said.

Several vehicles parked along the road were damaged and residents remained stuck inside their houses, they said.

Himachal Pradesh’s disaster management department has issued a warning for landslide due to heavy rains predicted in the state till August 25.

Precipitation is likely to increase during the next 24 hours for the subsequent three-four days with spells of heavy rainfall in parts of Kangra, Chamba, Mandi, Kullu, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan, Hamirpur, Una and Bilaspur districts, state disaster management department director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta said.

Mokhta asked district emergency operations centres (DEOCs) to take adequate safety measures as landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, rock-slides, sudden increase in water level in rivers, poor visibility and disruption of essential services may occur during the period.