The death toll from the rain fury in Himachal Pradesh rose to 57 on Wednesday, with the body of a woman being pulled from the rubble of a collapsed Shiv temple near Summer Hill, officials said. Heavy rains have lashed Himachal Pradesh since Sunday, causing landslides in Shimla’s Summer Hill, Krishna Nagar and Fagli.
“Rescue operations are underway in Summer Hill and Krishna Nagar areas and one body has been recovered from Summer Hill,” Deputy Commissioner Aditya Negi.
He said so far 13 bodies have been recovered from Summer Hill, five bodies from Fagli and two from Krishna Nagar. Ten bodies are still buried in the rubble of the Shiv temple that collapsed on Monday.
About 15 houses in Krishna Nagar were cleared and families shifted to safe places. Several others left their homes for fear of landslides due to incessant rains.
Two people were killed and at least eight houses were razed to the ground and a slaughterhouse was buried under the debris of a major landslide in Krishnanagar locality in the heart of Shimla city on Tuesday evening.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Tuesday that a nearly 157 percent increase in rainfall over the past few days has resulted in widespread damage in Himachal Pradesh and killed about 60 people in the past three days.
The Education Department on Wednesday ordered the closure of all schools and colleges in the state due to inclement weather and Himachal Pradesh University suspended classes till August 19.
About 800 roads are blocked in the state and the losses incurred by the state since the onset of monsoon since June 24 have exceeded Rs 7,200 crore, officials said.
In early July, heavy rains in the state, including Mandi, Kullu and Shimla, claimed several lives and destroyed property worth crores.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri urged the Center to declare a national disaster in Himachal Pradesh and release Rs 2,000 crore for restoration work.
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