Two dead, 30 houses damaged in rain-related incidents in Kangra

Continuous moderate to heavy rainfall has claimed two more lives and caused widespread damage to infrastructure, houses and livestock shelters in Kangra district in the past couple of days.

Kamal Kishore (76), a resident of Guler village, lost his life after slipping due to slippery conditions. In another incident, Sanjeev Kumar (41), a resident of Rulerh village in Shahpur subdivision, died after being hit by falling rocks.

As per official figures, at least 30 houses and 32 cowsheds were damaged in the past 24 hours. As a result, the number of houses damaged due to heavy rain rose to 160 and damaged cowsheds to 150.

An eight-room house belonging to Om Prakash collapsed in Sarana village due to continuous rainfall around 4 am on Friday. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, though the owners of the house were rendered homeless.

Public infrastructure has also taken a severe hit. Up to Friday evening, at least 40 water supply lines were damaged. Jal Shakti Department officials were working round-the-clock to restore essential services despite ongoing rain. Public transport services also remained heavily disrupted. Bus operations were affected on over 100 routes in Kangra district. A total of 53 buses were stranded due to waterlogged and damaged roads, while several routes were cancelled.

Meanwhile, District Magistrate Hemraj Bairwa has urged local residents to stay alert and avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.