Flash floods claim 4 lives in Himachal, 3 in Jammu; monsoon intensifies in Kerala, MP

NEW DELHI — Flash floods triggered by cloudbursts created havoc in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, washing away bridges, roads and houses and claiming at least seven lives on Thursday as the monsoon tightened its grip over several parts of India.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a ‘red alert’ for three Kerala districts where heavy rain flooded several low-lying areas and also predicted heavy downpours in several parts of Madhya Pradesh in the next 24 hours.

Cloudburst, flash floods and heavy rain wreaked havoc in Kangra and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday.

While two bodies were recovered yesterday, the death toll climbed to four on Thursday after the recovery of two more bodies from the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric project site in Kangra district.

Kangra SP Shalini Agnihotri on Thursday said those killed had been identified as Chain Singh from Jammu and Kashmir, Aditya Thakur from Chamba, and Pardeep Verma and Chandan, both from Uttar Pradesh.

While some of the missing persons have been rescued, the authorities did not clarify the exact number of people saved or missing.

The project work at the hydro project site had been suspended due to rain, and the workers were resting in temporary shelters near the site when floodwaters from Manuni Khad and nearby drains diverted towards them, sweeping several away.

According to officials, around 250-275 workers were present at the site after the incident on Wednesday night, who have been provided temporary shelter at the Ambedkar Bhawan in Khaniyara.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Commandant Baljinder Singh said they are trying to trace the people who are feared to have been swept away from the project site during the floods.

Flash floods were also reported from Manali and Banjar in the district. Heavy rains caused massive damage in Sainj, Gadsa and Hornagad areas.

In Jammu and Kashmir, three people, including two children, died as flash floods triggered by cloudbursts and heavy rains hit different areas in Rajouri, Poonch, Doda and Kathua districts.

Shaqafat Ali (14) and his cousin, Safeena Kousar (11), were grazing cattle when they were swept away by the flash floods in a riverlet in Rajouri.

The body of Basharat Hussain (32), a resident of Dunadi village, who drowned while bathing in Lopa stream in Doda on June 23, was taken out by an SDRF rescue team.

Flash floods due to cloudbursts were also reported from Qazi Mora in Poonch and different high-altitude areas of Doda, Udhampur and Ramban districts, but there was no report of any casualty.

Meanwhile, the administration in various districts, including Rajouri and Doda, has imposed a complete ban on swimming, bathing, fishing and roaming near rivers, nallahs, waterfalls, and also prohibited school picnics.

The weather office has forecast intermittent spells of light to moderate rain and thundershowers at many places, with the possibility of heavy rain at a few places of Jammu division till Friday.

In Arunachal Pradesh, one person died in Sachung village on Tuesday as landslides triggered by heavy rains hit Bichom district. Another person was swept away in the Pachuk river following heavy downpour, a report from the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), said here on Thursday.

With this, the toll from monsoon-related disasters in the northeastern state has risen to 14 -- seven in East Kameng, two in Lower Subansiri, and one each in Longding, Lohit, Anjaw, Kra Daadi, and Bichom districts.

While 11 people died due to landslides, one died in a flood-related incident, another from a wall collapse, and one person was killed in May when a tree fell on him during inclement weather in Longding.

In Kerala, the IMD issued a ‘red alert’ for heavy rainfall in three districts -- Idukki, Malappuram and Wayanad -- and an ‘orange alert’ in seven others after the rise in water level of rivers and downpours led to flooding in some low-lying areas.

Heavy rains and strong winds brought down hoardings in some places, including the state capital, uprooted trees and disrupted normal life.

The rise in water levels of rivers and heavy rains led to flooding of low-lying areas in Ernakulam, Thrissur and Idukki districts, displacing hundreds of people who were shifted to relief camps.

Meanwhile, continuous rains in Wayanad's Mundakkai-Chooralmala region resulted in the Chooralmala River being in strong spate, with muddy water flowing forcefully and eroding the banks near the Bailey bridge.

Last year in July, deadly landslides in the region claimed over 200 lives and destroyed many homes.

In Madhya Pradesh, several areas received showers on Thursday and the momentum is likely to continue with the IMD predicting very heavy rainfall in five districts and heavy rains in 16 others in the next 24 hours.

Alirajpur, Tikamgarh, Neemuch, Sehore, Dhar, Harda and Barwani districts were lashed by heavy rain on Thursday.

Very heavy rainfall is likely in Alirajpur, Jhabua, Balaghat, Mandla and Dhar in the next 24 hours, an official of the IMD's Bhopal office told PTI.

A yellow alert of heavy rainfall has been issued for isolated places in Indore, Damoh, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Panna, Sagar, Seoni, Barwani, Dewas, Mandsaur, Narmadapuram, Raisen, Ratlam, Sehore, Ujjain and Vidisha, he added.

Rains led to waterlogging in some parts of Jabalpur as commuters were seen wading through submerged roads.

In Rajasthan, light to heavy rain with thunderstorms and lightning was recorded at many places in the eastern part of the state and some areas in the western part.

In the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 am Thursday, the highest rainfall recorded was 115 mm in Bhungra, Banswara. Danpur, Masuda, and Jhadol each received 80 mm of rain.

Delhi on Thursday recorded a minimum temperature of 28.6 degrees Celsius. The IMD has forecast a generally cloudy sky with moderate rain during the day.