4 days on, 2 missing persons in Dharampur still untraceable

There is still no trace of two persons even four days after they were washed away in devastating flashfloods in Dharampur subdivision of Mandi district on last Monday night. The flashfloods triggered by incessant heavy rainfall wreaked havoc across the region. The local bus stand and several shops in a market were inundated, while 20 Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses and several private vehicles were damaged. The sudden surge of water during the night had left residents shocked and scrambling for safety.

According to Mandi SP Sakshi Verma and Dharampur SDM Joginder Patiyal, an intensive search operation is underway in the flood-affected areas. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, Home Guards personnel and community volunteers have been deployed but despite their continuous efforts, the missing persons are still untraceable.

"The search operation will continue, especially along the banks of the river which had flooded the region," said the SDM while emphasising that all possible measures were being taken to locate the missing persons.

Both public and private property in the region has suffered extensive damage, besides a high toll of human lives. On the night of June 30, a cloudburst struck the Seraj region of the district, killing 42 persons while 27 persons were still missing.

Meanwhile, the local authorities have expressed concern over recurring and frequent natural disasters in the region. Efforts are underway to assess the long-term impact and strengthen early warning systems.

The families of the missing persons continue to wait in anguish, clinging to hope amid uncertainty.