Two missing in Kangra flash floods; heavy rain wreaks havoc in Himachal Pradesh

Two people were reported missing in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh on Monday. The stretch of National Highway near Jhakri in Rampur area of Shimla district was blocked on Monday following heavy rainfall. Officials have made their way to the area and the process of clearing up the road has begun.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a heavy to very heavy rainfall alert for isolated places in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab etc. "Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) is very likely at isolated places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Telangana and with lightning at isolated places over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh,” the agency said on Sunday.

Also Read: Six houses swept away as landslide hits Himachal's Kangra district

Normal life took a hit in many parts of Himachal Pradesh including Bhagsu Nag in Dharamshala where the flash flood hit. Dharamshala is currently packed with tourists who flocked to Himachal Pradesh after the government relaxed coronavirus curbs in the state.

Also Read: Flashflood at Bhagsunag in Himachal’s McLeodganj washes away cars

The Manjhi river which flows through Dharamshala was overflowing due to incessant rains, and led to flooding in nearby areas, damaging around 10 shops. Deputy commissioner Nipun Jindal told ANI that the it cannot be confirmed yet if the flooding in Bhagsu Nag was due to a cloud burst, even as initial reports suggest the flash flood was caused by heavy rainfall.