Rain fury: Woman, kin buried alive under debris

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, August 11

Heavy rain wreaked havoc in various parts of the district today. Anni suffered the maximum damage.

A woman and her granddaughter were buried as debris entered their house after breaking its wall due to a landslide at Khaded village in Chowai. They were in a room. Villagers tried to rescue the victims buried under the rubble. They were identified as Chabelu Devi (55) and Kritika (17).

Ten shops being run in tin sheds built by the nagar panchayat in the old bus stand of Anni were washed away due to a flood in Dehuri Nullah after a cloudburst. All goods kept in the shops were destroyed. Besides, four vehicles and two motorcycles were also washed away. A portion of the Anni-Chowai road was also washed away at Gugra. The bridge on the NH at Dehuri Nullah and the other houses built along it have become vulnerable.

Anni SDM Naresh Verma appealed to shopkeepers and building owners to stay away from the river and vacate their properties. A team of the police is also alerting people of possible flood threat in the town by blaring sirens and loudspeakers.

The helipad and its link road at Vashisht near Manali were also washed away due to flood in the Beas. The Manali-Palchan road also suffered some damages. Shooting stones damaged trees and arable land in Manikaran. The Loran road in Kullu town was blocked due to a landslide. However, no major loss was reported.

Due to incessant rain, landslides are happening at various places and heavy damage has been caused in the district. Due to increase in the level of the Beas, approximately 300 cumecs water will be released from the Larji Hydro Electric Project (HEP).