Woman buried as room caves in after heavy rain

A woman, identified as Hemlata, was buried under the rubble while her husband escaped with minor injuries when their room caved in at Sakan Bastala village in Bhaguri, Krishangarh sub-tehsil, last night around 10.25 pm. The tragedy struck after heavy rain pounded the dilapidated two-room kutcha house.

The deceased’s four children and mother-in-law, who were sleeping in the adjoining room, escaped unhurt. The survivors have been shifted to their relatives’ house as the other room too has been rendered unfit for dwelling in view of the incessant rain.

Naib Tehsildar Surat Verma, who visited the spot, said the woman was rushed to Community Health Centre at Patta where the doctors pronounced her dead. A sum of Rs 20,000 has been extended to the family as immediate relief.

Solan Deputy Commissioner Manmohan Sharma confirmed that this is the first casualty caused due to the ongoing monsoon season in the district.

He informed that the district has suffered loss worth crores in the last 24 hours, with major loss comprising Rs 56 lakh by the Health Department, Rs 40 lakh by the Animal Husbandry Department, Rs 5.71 crore by the Jal Shakti Department, Rs 10.50 lakh by the PWD’s national highway division and Rs 8.58 crore by the PWD. Cumulative losses suffered this season have climbed to Rs 148 crore till now.

Connectivity to Kasauli through Sanawar was also hit as boulders and debris blocked the road at Moti Kona, forcing commuters to take a longer detour via Mangoti Mor.

The Parwanoo-Solan highway was partially hit as the hill continued to erode at Dharampur and Sanwara, forcing the authorities to close two of the four lanes for vehicular traffic. While slope protection work was underway at various places on this highway, these two places have emerged as areas of concern due to the continued erosion.