‘Deadly Downpour’: Three dead, one missing after flash flood wreaks havoc in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi

A devastating flash flood triggered by heavy rain hit the Jail Road of Himachal Pradesh's Mandi town in the early hours of Tuesday. It claimed at least two lives; two have been reported missing and caused extensive damage to houses and vehicles. Additionally, the Chandigarh-Manali highway also got blocked due to multiple landslides triggered by the heavy rains.

Mandi DC Apoorv Devgan told news agency ANI, “The stretch of jail road has been affected by heavy rain. 3 people have died in the area near Jail Road. One woman is missing. The search operation by the police, NDRF and Home Guard teams is underway. The roads are also being cleared...Many vehicles have been piled up near the hospital. Casualties have been reported, along with that, many houses have been damaged...We have set up a relief camp in Vipasha Sadan. Officials from the electricity, PWD, Jal Shakti, and other departments are working together to provide relief.”

Earlier, additional Deputy Commissioner Rohit Rathour of Mandi told news agency ANI, “Due to heavy rain around 4 am, there have been reports of a lot of damage... Two people have died, and two people are reported missing.”

Jai Ram Thakur visits Jail Road

According to a report by TOI, the Mandi administration swiftly initiated a search and rescue operation. Officials confirmed that a missing person is suspected to be trapped under the debris of the flash flood, which is believed to be caused by a cloudburst. However, the victims were yet to be identified.

The floodwater surged into several houses situated near a stream while residents were asleep. The flash flood badly damaged and swept away several vehicles, which were parked along the Jail Road. It also blocked the road nearby its regional hospital in the town.

Along with the flood in the Mandi Bus Terminus, multiple landslides were also reported from different parts of the town, including near the Victoria Bridge and the DAV school. Additionally, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur visited the Jail Road and met the affected people of the town. He assured the people that he was personally monitoring the situation and directed the local administration to expedite the search, rescue, and relief operations.