Elderly man drowns in overflowing drain in Mandi MC Mayor’s ward

Mandi, August 20

Kumar Sharma (75), a retired Assistant Engineer, drowned in a swollen drain following heavy rainfall in wee hours today. The local police made efforts to rescue Sharma but he had died by the time he was pulled out of the drain.

Chandigarh-Manali highway blocked

• The national highway was closed for a few hours at night due to landslides on the Mandi-Pandoh highway near 4 Miles in Mandi district
• The blockade due to landslides led to a long traffic jam and the road was reopened in the morning
• A section of the Mandi-Badi road sank following a landslide. Heavy rain caused widespread flooding in Mandi city, turning roads into streams

According to the police, when the incident occurred the drain was overflowing due to torrential rain and was also blocked. Sharma tried to clear the blockage but slipped into the drain and was swept away. A woman, who was there to drop her child at school, noticed the elderly man trapped in the drain and informed the local police.

It was a challenging task to rescue Sharma as the drain was partially underground and he was declared dead shortly after being pulled out. The body was sent to the Zonal Hospital for a postmortem examination.

Mandi Municipal Corporation Mayor Virender Bhatt expressed condolences over the incident, which happened in his ward.

Meanwhile, heavy rain caused widespread flooding in Mandi city, turning roads into streams and blocking drains in narrow lanes. It also led to garbage accumulation and water intrusion into homes. The downpour exposed deficiencies in the municipal drainage system, as many drain chambers were clogged. In Paddal, a white poplar tree fell on the Jhalpa Temple road, damaging two cars parked there. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.

Besides, the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway was closed for a few hours at night due to landslides on the Mandi-Pandoh highway near 4 Miles in the district, resulting in a long traffic jam. The road was reopened in the morning. A section of the Mandi-Badi road sank following a landslide. A landslide had occurred at the same place last year.