Evacuation of stranded tourists begins in flood-ravaged Himachal Pradesh after roads reopen
Himachal Pradesh Floods: Israel nationals, Australian journalist are among those stranded in Himachal Pradesh. Breakdown of communication networks is the major challenge faced by the authorities in the rescue operations.
Foreign tourists from Israel, Kuwait, Brazil and Australia are stranded at various places in Himachal Pradesh, according to sources. Himachal Pradesh Floods: The evacuation of tourists from flood-hit areas of Himachal Pradesh, such as Kullu, Mandi, Lahaul and Spiti and Chamba, began Wednesday morning as several roads reopened for traffic. Foreign tourists from Israel, Kuwait, Brazil and Australia are stranded at various places in Himachal Pradesh, according to sources.
As many as 1,239 district roads and three national Highways were blocked on Tuesday. The numbers came down Wednesday to 873 district roads and one national Highway — NH 03 from Mandi to Kullu.
Mangled remains of a petrol pump after it got washed away following heavy rainfall, in Kullu. (ANI)
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said in a tweet that over 2,000 stranded individuals in Kasol have been successfully evacuated. He added that teams are working tirelessly to clear the Dunkhara landslide on the Kasol-Bhuntar road.
Over 2000 stranded individuals in Kasol have been successfully evacuated as of now. Our teams are working tirelessly to clear the Dunkhara landslide on the Kasol-Bhuntar road. District administration is on-site coordinating relief efforts. 2200+ vehicles have safely passed…
— Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) July 12, 2023
Meanwhile, Israel foreign ministry sources told The Indian Express that over 200 Israel nationals were presumed stranded across Himachal Pradesh. “Their families have approached the foreign ministry of Israel saying they could not reach their loved ones. Several enquiries have been received about them. The major problem is the damage to the communication infrastructure. Efforts are on to reach the tourists”, the sources said.
The Himachal Pradesh Police said Australian journalist Avini Dias and three other foreign tourists had been contacted. They were found to be safe and would be evacuated soon, the police said.
The Mandi police posted a list of 95 tourists stuck in the district. Mandi Superintendent of Police Soumya Simbvasan said, “All the tourists in our contact have been safely moved out of Mandi. If anyone is still stuck somewhere, they should contact the Mandi police.”
The Kullu police stated,” 74 people in our contact in Jari, Binja, and Nirmand are safe. We are here to evacuate them.” They said more than 150 vehicles carrying 500 people have safely been evacuated. As many as 250 stuck tourists have been moved out from Lahaul and Spiti in 55 vehicles, the police said.
Kullu Assistant Superintendent of Police Ashish Sharma said,” There was no mobile signal in several areas for the past two days. As tourists could not contact their families, a check-post has been installed to collect the details of the (stranded) people and share them on our Facebook page. Relief materials are also being provided to them.”
Meanwhile, local residents said the Kullu town had got disconnected from Manali, Manikaran and Banjar subdivisions, and communication networks had been damaged.
The district public relations office of Kullu said power supply was restored in the Kullu town Tuesday night but water supply was yet to be restored as many pipes had been severely damaged. “Kasol has been disconnected from Kullu due to damaged roads and hence rescue operation from Kasol began via alternate routes,” it said. On Wednesday morning, 11 people, including eight of a family, were evacuated from Jari.
Meanwhile, politicians are making a beeline to visit the flood-hit areas. The chief minister has been in Kullu and Mandi since Tuesday. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh and Water Resources Minister Jagat Singh Negi are also making rounds in the affected areas.
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