MONSOON HAVOC IN HIMACHAL: 15 RUSSIAN TOURIST STRANDED, POLICE AIDING RESCUE

Satwan Atwal Trivedi present DGP of Himachal Pradesh, on Tuesday, said that 15 tourists were reported stranded in Kasol and police are trying to establish contact with them. He said 31 people have died in the recent rains in the past three days. He said 250 tourists are stranded in Chandertal and 300 in Sissu in the Lahaul and Spiti district and 300 in parts of Mandi district.

These 31 people have died in the recent rains in the past three days. In SHIMLA Himachal Pradesh authorities on Tuesday took stock of the havoc caused by the recent rains, saying 31 people have been killed, nearly 1,300 roads closed due to landslides and floods, and 40 major bridges damaged. In the Kullu Sainj area alone, around 40 shops and 30 houses were washed away, according to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who conducted an aerial survey of the Kasol, Manikaran, Kheer Gan,ga, and Pulga areas. An attempt to evacuate them by an IAF helicopter failed due to bad weather, Atwal said.

However, there has been little rain on Tuesday, helping the authorities to intensify the restoration of damaged infrastructure. Officials said the Shimla-Kalka highway, which was blocked for vehicular traffic due to a cave-in following a landslide at the Chakki Mor area near Jabli, has been partially restored for one-way traffic. A large number of vehicles, however, are stranded on both sides of the road. The state education department has issued an order stating all government schools will be closed till July 15.