Himachal: CM Sukhu heads for Kangra, flood victims airlifted to safety

Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 16 (ANI): Over 800 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas of Kangra near Pong Dam in the Beas river, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday as heavy rains continued to batter the state.

Indian Army columns have been deployed for flood relief operations in Shimla, Fatehpur and Indora areas of the State.
The death toll in rain-related incidents in the State has risen to over 60 with the chief minster stating that the State has suffered a loss of around Rs 10,000 crore.
“It will take around one year for us to redevelop the infrastructure of the state" Chief Minster Sukhu said.
The chief minister had earlier today taken to X (previously known as Twitter) to share a video of people being evacuated. “More than 800 people were evacuated from the low-lying areas of Kangra near the Pong Dam, as their villages became inaccessible due to the elevated water level in the dam reservoir. Evacuation operation is still on as more people are being evacuated.”
Rescue operations continued in the Indora sub-divison of Kangra district today, to rescue and provide relief to victims of the flood. The affected people are being airlifted and shifted to safer places, officials said on Wednesday.
Talking to reporters in Shimla, Chief Minister Sukhu said that he was on his way to Kangra.
"I am on the way to Kangra. We have evacuated over 650 people there. Around 100 people are still trapped in Kangra, rescue operation is underway. Another body has been recovered in Shimla.”
Five to seven houses collapsed in Lalpani in the Krishna Nagar area of Shimla on Tuesday afternoon following a landslide. Chief Minister Sukhu said residents of the houses were evacuated earlier on Tuesday morning by the administration fearing landslides. According to information by District Disaster Management Authority, Shimla, seven buildings collapsed in the landslide and approximately 20 people were present at the incident site at that time, out of which 18 people escaped safely and two persons were trapped under debris.
“Our primary focus is to rescue more and more people. One casualty has been reported so far. All agencies are working to save lives. About 10-15 houses have been vacated, and the occupants have shifted to safe places. The loss of property is yet to be ascertained," Shimla SP Sanjeev Gandhi said earlier.
According to officials, a total of 13 bodies have been retrieved so far from the Summer Hill area in Shimla which was hit by a landslide on August 14. A Shiv temple in Summer Hill was washed away in the landslide that followed a cloudburst.
Rescue operations are being conducted by personnel of the NDRF, SDRF, army, local police, and home guards.

BS Rajput 14 NDRF second in command said, "According to information received, we have the proof of 21 victims here. Till yesterday we recovered 12 bodies. Today we got one more body, so 13 bodies have been recovered. We are using specialised equipment other than heavy machinery. We can't confirm when will the search be over because the bodies in the down area are spread over at least 2 km and we can't use machines there so rescue has to be done manually."

SDM Shimla (Urban) Bhanu Gupta also said, "Local people have confirmed the count that there can be 21 bodies. Out of which, we have recovered 12 bodies in the last two days. Our search and rescue operation is going on. In our team, we have the NDRF, SDRF, army, local police, and home guard. If we get any positive news on some people being alive, we'll rescue them properly,"
On Monday, the Phagli area of Shimla also witnessed a landslide, in which 5 people were killed.
Moreover, DS Rajput, 14 NDRF, second in command, while talking to ANI, informed that We can't confirm when the search will be over because the bodies in the area are spread over at least 2 km and we can't use machines there, so rescue has to be done manually.
"According to the information received, we have proof of 21 victims. Yesterday, we recovered 12 bodies. Today we got one more body, so 13 bodies have been recovered. We are using specialised equipment other than heavy machinery. We can't confirm when will the search be over because the bodies in the down area are spread over at least 2 km and we can't use machines there, so rescue has to be done manually," DS Rajput, 14 NDRF second in command, said,
On Tuesday, the Indian Air Force airlifted 18 army soldiers in a single sortie to aid the rescue operation following landslides in Shimla.
“A Chinook helicopter of Western Air Command airlifted 18 Indian Army personnel and a 3-Ton Mini Dozer in a single sortie for rescue efforts in areas affected by landslides near Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla today," the Indian Air Force informed through a statement on Tuesday.
Incessant rains continue to wreak havoc in parts of Himachal Pradesh, resulting in damage to buildings and properties.
51 people were killed on Monday, while 9 lost their lives on Tuesday’s landslides incidents in the state.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu held a meeting with the high-powered committee on Tuesday for further intensification of disaster management efforts.
He said a 157-per cent surge in rainfall over the past four days has resulted in extensive damage across the entire state.
He added that his government was fully committed to expediting restoration efforts on a priority basis. He said about 400 out of a total of 1,220 blocked roads have been restored to their normal state. (ANI)