Heavy showers have lashed the Himalayan states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, already struggling with natural calamities. The overnight rains and cloudbursts have left at least nine people dead and 11 missing across the two states, according to PTI.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre or the SEOC, more than 600 people have been left stranded in different locations. Rescue efforts are underway, with NDRF, SDRF, and fire brigade personnel working to bring people to safety amid the inclement weather.
The downpour caused widespread devastation, with flash floods and landslides washing away vehicles, damaging houses, and halting essential services.
In Uttarakhand, three people died in Dehradun, two in Nainital, and one in Pithoragarh, with seven people still missing in the Dehradun district alone. Roads and bridges were breached or washed away, and the rising water levels of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers are nearing the warning mark.
In Dehradun, the Tamsa river swelled so rapidly that it inundated the famous Tapkeshwar temple, submerging the gigantic Hanuman statue up to its shoulders. The temple’s priest, Bipin Joshi, said he has not seen the river waters rise so high in the past 25 to 30 years.
