Overflowing rivers, caved roads, damaged houses, overturned vehicles – these are the visuals from Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh as the two states witness heavy rainfall. Fifteen people have died in Uttarakhand, and three in a landslide in Mandi.
Uttarakhand’s Dehradun has been witnessing very heavy rainfall since Monday night, leaving several roads, houses and shops damaged in Tapovan, Sahastradhara and the IT Park area. At least 15 people have been killed, 16 have gone missing, and over 900 are stranded with swollen rivers washing away roads and bridges. The maximum number of deaths, that is 13, has been reported from Dehradun. One each died in Nainital and Udham Singh Naga.
A bridge near Uttaranchal University in the Prem Nagar area in Dehradun collapsed after flash floods. Connectivity to the hostel side of the area has been completely cut off. Telephone lines have also suffered damage, and several electricity poles have fallen. Restoration work is underway to resume power and communication services.
Explaining the cause behind this sudden spell of rain, Dr Chander Singh Tomar, Head of India Meteorological Centre, Dehradun, told NDTV, “Interaction between easterlies (winds that blow from east to west) and westerlies (winds that blow from west to east) or air masses over the region leads to heavy precipitation.”
