Rescue continues for 4th day in India's rain-hit Himalayan state

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – The search and rescue operation continued in India's Himalayan state for the fourth day on Wednesday after landslides and flash floods triggered by heavy rains claimed 67 lives, officials said.

Himachal state disaster management official Praveen Bhardwaj confirmed the death toll to Anadolu, adding that at least 15 people are still missing.

Indian army is also rescuing people with more than 150 civilians and 18 military personnel airlifted so far, the air force said Tuesday.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday that more than 800 people were evacuated from the low-lying areas of Kangra district near the Pong Dam, as their villages became "inaccessible due to the elevated water level in the dam reservoir."

"Evacuation operation is still on as more people are being evacuated," he said on X, formerly Twitter.

The Himachal state earlier this week saw a rain fury, leading to the blockage of roads. Several videos on social media showed buildings collapsing in seconds.

Dozens of people have died in various Indian states in the past few weeks as heavy monsoons lash several parts of the country. Monsoon, the season of heavy rain in parts of Asia, lasts from June to September.​​​​​​​