Himachal Pradesh cloudbursts: 5 more bodies recovered; toll rises to 27

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who visited the cloudburst-affected Samej on August 2, had claimed that properties worth over Rs 760 crore were damaged in the natural tragedy.

Five cloudbursts including three in Kullu and one each in Mandi and Shimla on July 31 had created havoc in the three districts. (Express Photo)

Five more bodies were recovered on the ninth day of the search and rescue operation on Friday after the recent cloudburst tragedy at Samej Khad along the borders of Shimla and Kullu districts in Himachal Pradesh. The discovery of the five bodies has taken the total toll to 27. So far, nine bodies have been recovered in Mandi, three bodies in Kullu, and 15 bodies in Shimla district.

Five cloudbursts including three in Kullu and one each in Mandi and Shimla on July 31 had created havoc in the three districts. Over 55 people went missing and two dozen structures including houses, a government school, five bridges, and one dam named Malana Dam-1 were damaged.

“Four bodies were found near Dhogri in the vicinity of Sunni dam. One body was found near Nogali. These bodies were recovered today (Friday). The search operation is going on. At least 33 people in Shimla went missing on the night of July 31… Three bodies out of five recovered today were identified,” Sanjeev Gandhi, Superintendent of Police, Shimla, said.

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Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who visited the cloudburst-affected Samej on August 2, had claimed that properties including government and private ones worth over Rs 760 crore were damaged in the natural tragedy.

On Thursday, his cabinet decided to provide Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 per month as rental expenses in urban and rural areas, respectively, to those whose homes were completely damaged. Besides, it was decided to provide free ration, LPG refills, utensils, and bedding for a period of three months from August 1 to October 31, 2024. Additionally, an immediate financial relief of Rs 50,000 will be disbursed to families affected by the cloudbursts.

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