Since Tuesday night, up to 32 individuals have gone missing following a cloudburst near a hydroelectric power project at Samej Khad in the Rampur area of Shimla district. The cloudburst in the Himachal Pradesh region, which borders the districts of Kullu and Shimla, also caused considerable damage, with reports of damage to twelve buildings, including a government school building.
District Disaster Management Authority officials said they were alerted about the cloudburst early in the morning. A senior administrative officer said, “Initial reports indicate that 19 people are missing from the affected region, with unconfirmed reports suggesting additional missing persons in Kullu. So far, 32 people. Due to road blockages, news of the incident was delayed, with the cloudburst occurring around 1 am on Thursday”.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the police, and local rescue units were sent right away to the affected area, according to Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap. Sanjeev Gandhi, the Superintendent of Police, and Kashyap are on their way to the location. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Nishant Tomar of Rampur will also be present.
According to Kashyap, the Special Home Guard and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) joined the relief effort right away. Also available on-site are ambulances and other necessary services.
To expedite relief and rescue activities, a coordination group headed by the additional deputy commissioner has been established. This committee consists of the police, home guard, fire brigade, Sunni Dam administration, and other departments.
In the meantime, damage was caused by another cloudburst in the Kullu district’s high mountains, Shrikhand Mahadev.
