10 Trapped In Reservoir In Rain-Battered Himachal Pradesh, Rescue Ops On

At least ten people are trapped in a reservoir in Himachal Pradesh, which has seen large scale devastation and loss of life due to rain-related incidents in the last couple of months, officials have said. 

Officials said their boat got stuck in the Kol Dam reservoir in Mandi yesterday due to rise in water levels following incessant rain.

Efforts are on to rescue the trapped people, they said, adding that five of those stuck in the reservoir are employees of the forest department.

A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was rushed to the spot after locals informed the police about the incident. "The situation is not life threatening and the trapped people would be rescued soon," Arindam Chaudhary, Mandi Deputy Commissioner, said.

More than 338 people have died in Himachal Pradesh in rain-related incidents since the onset of Monsoon this year, while 38 people are missing, according to the state emergency operation centre.

Incessant rain has led to landslides, cloudburst, and flash floods, causing significant damage in the State. The government of Himachal Pradesh has declared the whole state as a 'natural calamity affected area'.

According to the latest information provided by the state government, the total monetary loss in Himachal has reached Rs 8,014.61 crore since June 24.

The weather office has issued an Orange alert for the state over the next couple of days. "Himachal Pradesh is under an Orange Alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall with estimates ranging from 115.6 to 204.4 mm on 22nd, 23rd & 24th August," the Indian Meteorological Department.

The orange alert is issued as a warning of "extremely bad" weather with the potential of disruption in commute with road and rail closures, and interruption of power supply.