Three of family killed in Mandi flashfloods

Flashfloods triggered by a cloudburst in the Jail Road area of Mandi district in the wee hours today claimed the lives of three members of a family and left another critically injured. The flashfloods caused extensive damage to infrastructure and private property and swept away over 40 vehicles and severely affected more than 12 houses in Tungal Colony.

The deceased have been identified as Balbir Singh, Aman Preet Singh, aka Sunny, and Sapna — all members of the family of Krishna Devi, a former councillor of the Mandi Municipal Corporation. She lost her son, daughter-in-law and grandson in the calamity. Her another son, who was also caught in the floodwaters, suffered a leg fracture and multiple injuries but was rescued from the debris in a critical condition. He is undergoing treatment at the zonal hospital, Mandi.

According to eyewitnesses, the family members were trying to move their auto-rickshaw to a safer location when a sudden surge of water overwhelmed them. Within minutes, the rising waters washed away all four of them. While three bodies were recovered shortly after the incident, the fourth person was pulled out alive from the debris in an injured condition.

The cloudburst occurred just after midnight and minor streams in the area swelled rapidly due to the cloudburst, unleashing torrents that smashed into the residential colony. Several other residents were also trapped in their homes, as debris and floodwaters surged through the locality. Fortunately, local teams rescued three other persons safely.

Rescue operations began immediately with the joint efforts of the NDRF, SDRF, Fire Department, police, Home Guards, Public Works Department (PWD) and the Mandi Municipal Corporation. According to Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan, 32 persons stranded in their homes were rescued. Devgan arrived at the incident site along with Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Madan Kumar, SDM Rupinder Kaur and Municipal Commissioner Rohit Rathour.

“Rescue teams acted promptly despite challenging conditions. We are ensuring that all affected individuals receive shelter, medical care and basic necessities,” said Devgan.

The ADM said that 22 affected individuals had been temporarily housed at a local gurdwara and the Panchayat Bhawan.

An immediate relief of Rs 25,000 each for the deceased and Rs 10,000 for the injured had been extended to the bereaved family. Besides, the Citizens Council, Mandi, contributed Rs 30,000 to support the grieving family. The ADM said that the extent of losses was being assessed.

The cloudburst and the resultant flashfloods caused widespread damage to infrastructure in the district. The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway was blocked at 4 Miles and 9 Miles near Pandoh and the Jogni Mata Temple, disrupting traffic between Mandi and Kullu. Traffic between Mandi and Kullu was diverted via Kataula for light vehicles.

A landslide took place on the Mandi-Pathankot Highway at the Lavandi bridge near Jogindernagar, though the debris was cleared soon.

As many as 254 roads still remain blocked and 172 electricity transformers, besides 47 water supply schemes are disrupted due to landslides. The authorities concerned have deployed teams to restore essential services and the restoration work was going on a war footing, Devgan said.

Meanwhile, the local administration has appealed to residents to remain cautious, avoid going to flood-prone areas and cooperate with emergency services. As more rain has been forecast, the administration is monitoring the situation round-the-clock to ensure prompt response to any emerging threat.