Relief and rescue operation continued in Himachal Pradesh, where around 60 people are thought to have died in landslides triggered by cloudbursts that buried an entire village near Rampur.
Darla (Himachal Pradesh), Aug 16 : Relief and rescue operation continued in Himachal Pradesh, where around 60 people are thought to have died in landslides triggered by cloudbursts that buried an entire village near Rampur.
Rescue workers said, hopes for finding any survivors were minimal, as the bodies could already have been washed away in the river, which flows in a gorge below the village.
The army and paramilitary forces were looking for bodies with sniffer dogs to assist them after Tuesday night's cloudburst in Darla village of Himachal Pradesh. So far they have recovered four bodies.
"When we reached the spot, four bodies had already been recovered," said Nehar Singh Negi, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jhakhri.
Heavy rains have been hampering rescue work in the area. Huge boulders measuring 20 to 25-feet high came down during the landslides completely crushing the houses.
Many of the victims were labourers working at the construction site of a hydroelectric power station in the area.
Some of the residents were lucky to escape the landslide.
"Five people belonging to my family are dead. I was out with my mules and was leading them home," said Chandra Singh Negi, a resident.
This year's monsoon has till date taken 88 lives in the state.
Sutlej, the main river in Himachal Pradesh, has been in full spate due to heavy showers over the past few days.
Its discharge has reached 1200 Cusecs, which is well above the danger level.
Large areas in the Sutluj's catchment are faced with gushing, rising waters and possible threats of flooding.
ANI