Three incidents of cloudburst have devastated parts of Himachal Pradesh namely Mandi, Kullu and the state’s capital Shimla. 19 have been reportedly missing after the calamity occurred in the Rampur area of Shimla district. Another heavy cloudburst was reported in the Thaltukhod area of Mandi where one dead body has been recovered and nine have gone missing.

The SDRF and NDRF teams have reached their respective spots for search and rescue operations. Schools and colleges have been declared closed in Mandi after the destruction caused by the cloudbursts which have destroyed homes, schools and hospitals and have disrupted the road connectivity in the area.

A cloudburst on the Shimla-Kullu border has also caused huge destruction where schools, colleges and houses have been affected and another 19 have been reported missing. The series of cloudbursts occurred in the early hours of Thursday and teams of NDRF rushed for evacuation.

Around 8 to 10 houses and bridges have flown in water following the cloudburst. The calamity in the Kullu area has not only damaged the residential areas and roads but also affected the two giant power projects that would impact the power services. The water level in the Beas and other rivers has increased after the havoc. The residents have been urged to leave and evacuate the area, especially those residing on the banks of the water bodies.