Recent flooding and heavy rains result in a death toll of 91 people in India’s Himachal Pradesh

In Himachal Pradesh, India, recent flooding and heavy rains have resulted in the deaths of 91 people, with 14 individuals reported missing. The state has suffered losses amounting to approximately Rs 4,000 crore ($487 million), according to the State’s education minister Rohit Thakur.

The state emergency operation center reported that as of Wednesday night, the death toll had reached 88. A total of 1,020 roads remain blocked, and transportation services, including bus services, have been severely disrupted.

An official from the emergency operation center stated that 1,020 roads are still blocked in the state, while 2,498 transformers and 1,244 water supply schemes have been disrupted.

The meteorological office has issued a “yellow” alert for heavy rain, thunderstorms, and lightning in the region from July 13 to 17. The wet spell is expected to continue until July 19.

Since the onset of the monsoon on June 24, Himachal Pradesh has been severely affected by heavy rains, triggering landslides and flash floods that have led to road blockages and property damage.

As of July 12, the state has incurred a total loss of Rs 1,312 crore, and further estimates of losses are being reported.

Rescue workers have successfully evacuated 256 tourists who were stranded at Chandertal in the Lahaul and Spiti district for five days due to heavy snowfall blocking the roads. Authorities have been working to shift a total of 60,000 tourists to safer areas in the state over the past four days.

However, approximately 10,000 tourists stuck in places like Kasol, Kheerganga, and adjoining areas are refusing to trek to safety as they do not want to leave their vehicles behind.

To facilitate the evacuation, expert drivers were arranged to drive the tourist vehicles in the snowbound area. Food and medical supplies have been provided to the stranded tourists at Losar before taking them to Kaza, and the rescue operation is being supervised by the Lahaul and Spiti Deputy Commissioner.

Chandertal Lake, a popular tourist destination in the Spiti valley, has posed a challenging task for evacuation efforts. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who conducted an aerial survey of the affected areas, described the evacuation from Chandertal as challenging. Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, who is familiar with the region’s harsh topography, has been appointed to assist in the rescue efforts.