Several parts of the hill state of Himachal Pradesh saw heavy rains on Saturday as 135 roads remained closed following landslides and flash floods.
Reports of damages due to heavy rains, landslides and flash floods have poured in Lahaul and Spiti, Chamba and Sirmaur districts but no casualty was reported. The Lahaul and Spiti police have issued an advisory for residents and travellers to exercise extreme caution and not to cross Jahalman nallah where the water level is rising rapidly.
The regional Met office has also issued an 'orange' alert, warning for heavy to very rainfall at isolated places in in five districts of Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur accompanied by thunderstorm and lightning on Saturday and a 'yellow' alert for heavy rain throughout the state till August 16.
Heavy rains lashed parts of the state with Nahan in Sirmaur recording the highest rainfall of 168.3 mm since Friday evening, followed by 106.4 mm in Sandhole, 93.2 mm in Nagrota Surian, 67 mm in Dhaulakuan, 62.2 mm in Jubbarhatti and 45.6 mm in Kandaghat.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, 135 roads including 42 in Sirmaur, 37 in Kullu, 29 in Mandi, 17 in Shimla, five in Kangra, four in Kinnaur, one in Lahaul and Spiti district are closed while 24 power and 56 water supply schemes have been disrupted due to the rains.
The MeT department also warned of a low to moderate flash flood risk in isolated parts of Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur and Shimla districts till Sunday morning. The weather department has cautioned of the possibility of damage to plantations, crops, vulnerable structures and 'kutcha' houses due to strong winds and waterlogging in low-lying areas.
Meanwhile, rescue operations to trace about 30 people who went missing after the flash floods triggered by cloudburst in Kullu, mandi and Shimla district on July 31 midnight continued on Saturday but there was no major success. So far, 28 bodies have been recovered in this tragedy, officials said.