Four persons, including three members of a family, were feared killed after heavy flash floods caused by a cloudburst in the Dharampur area of Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday. There were reports of loss to private and public property. The body of a woman was recovered from the debris of a house that was hit by a boulder that killed 3 members of the family. Deputy Commissioner (Mandi) Sandeep Kadam said rescue operations were on. Additional District Magistrate Vivek Chandel said locals and a few officials, who were among the first to reach the spot, tried to save those trapped. Efforts were on to trace the bodies, he added. Strong water currents in the Son Khud area pushed the flood downhill into Dharampur’s main market. A bus stand in the area was severely damaged and remained water-logged for hours. At least seven buses were damaged. Himchal Pradesh Transport Minister G S Bali had he has sought a report on the loss.
