At least 2 killed, several missing after flash floods in northern India

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – At least two people were killed and several others are missing after flash floods ravaged the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday.

Authorities are receiving “distressing and heart-wrenching” reports of loss of life and property in several states due to heavy rainfall, the state’s Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu posted on X.

“Instructions have been given to the administrative staff of all districts to carry out relief and rescue operations with complete seriousness and urgency,” he added.

The heavy rain and landslides battered the mountains, particularly the districts of Kangra and Kullu.

A statement by the state's Emergency Operation Centre on Wednesday evening said that a cloudburst was reported in Kullu, where four houses were washed away, with two or three people swept into a nearby stream.

Hemraj Bairwa, a top official in the state’s Kangra district, said two people died and six others are missing due to the flash floods.

In the neighboring Uttarakhand state, officials said that a vehicle with 18 people on board fell into a river in the Rudraprayag district. Officials said several people are missing.

“Relief and rescue operations are being conducted on a war footing,” the state’s Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on X.

“I am in constant contact with the local administration regarding this matter. I pray to God for everyone's safety.”

Several Indian states are currently experiencing the monsoon season, which runs from June to September.