5 killed in Mandi landslide, flashflood

Heavy rain wreaked havoc in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh in the wee hours today, triggering landslides and flashfloods that caused widespread devastation and left five persons dead while two other are missing.

A massive landslide struck a house at Bragta village under Boe panchayat of Nihri tehsil in Sundernagar subdivision, burying alive five members of a family. Villagers launched a rescue operation and managed to pull out two survivors in critical condition. Both are undergoing treatment at a hospital. The deceased were identified as Tangu Devi (64), Kamla Devi (33) and eight-month-old Bhisham Singh.

In another incident, two persons drowned in flooded Suma Khud under Shivabdar panchayat of Mandi Sadar tehsil. They were crossing a makeshift bridge to reach a temple when the strong current swept them away. The bodies were later recovered from the stream. The deceased have been identified as Prem Singh and Manohar Lal, both of Suma village.

In yet another tragedy, a flashflood hit Dharampur market late last night, submerging the bus stand and adjoining commercial establishments.

The floodwaters caused extensive damage to public infrastructure and private property. Twenty Himachal Road Transport Corporation buses were washed away and 25 private vehicles were damaged. Two persons, Lekh Raj of Bemphad and Balbir Singh of Sohar village in Dharampur, are missing. Mandi SP Sakshi Verma said a search operation was underway.

Houses and shops were inundated, forcing residents to seek refuge on rooftops. A hostel housing nearly 150 students was also flooded, but the children managed to move safely to the upper floors. Police and rescue teams led by DSP Sanjeev Sood carried out rescue operations.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri visited flood-ravaged Dharampur to assess the losses and directed the administration to expedite relief and rescue measures. BJP leader Rajat Thakur also visited the affected area.