In a tragic turn of events, an unexpected flash flood triggered by a cloudburst wreaked havoc in Kangra and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, resulting in four fatalities. Search and rescue operations led by joint teams of NDRF, SDRF, and the police are underway to locate three individuals still missing. On Thursday, the authorities discovered two more bodies, adding to the count of those who have succumbed to the raging waters.
Shilpa Bekta, Additional Deputy Magistrate of Kangra, confirmed that while two bodies were recovered on Wednesday, two more were found on Thursday. Around 250 to 275 workers were stationed at a temporary colony near the Indira Priyadarshini Hydro Project site in Kangra. The sudden deluge from heavy rains redirected the course of streams like Manuni Khad towards the colony, carrying many workers away in its gush.
Identified Deceased Add to Mourning
The identified deceased include Chain Singh from Jammu & Kashmir, Aditya Thakur from Chamba, and Pradeep Verma along with Chandan from Uttar Pradesh. Miraculously, one person was rescued alive from the jungle during the ongoing rescue operations.
BJP President JP Nadda expressed his condolences, stating, "In this moment of calamity, every BJP worker is dedicated to serving the citizens of Devbhoomi."
Survivors Share Their Harrowing Experience
A survivor named Lovely recounted the ordeal, "There were 13 of us in the camp. As soon as the flood approached, five ran towards the hills while the rest were swept away." Dharamshala SP Shalini Agnihotri emphasized, “Despite challenging weather and terrain, our team is relentlessly searching for the missing.”
Laborer Daya Kishan described the moment of crisis, "We saw the flood approaching and shouted to alert those below before finding safety ourselves." Baljinder Singh, Commandant of the National Disaster Response Force, confirmed that efforts are ongoing to trace individuals feared to have been swept away from the project site during the flood.
Sudhir Sharma, MLA of Dharamshala, visited the site and criticized the placement of workers in vulnerable locations despite weather warnings. He accused project officials and contractors of negligence, calling for a thorough investigation of the incident.
