The District administration of Kinnaur on Thursday recovered six more bodies of migrant Nepalese labourer who died in flash flood and incessant rains in worst affected Kinnaur district of the state taking the death toll to 20.
The dead bodies of six Nepalese labourers were found in interior lippa village after some local residents informed the district administration about them. State government on Thursday also dispatched rescue teams comprising National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, ITBP and police personnel in search of teams of trekkers, who have gone into high altitude areas of Kinnaur district and are stranded.
government officials did not rule out the possibility of foreigners among trekkers who might have been stranded in treacherous terrains of the district. Meanwhile, rescue operations were still on and till 12.30pmtotal of 127 people were evacuated to safer locations by the two Indian Air Force (IAF) and one state chopper.Among the deaths, now the breakup figure is Kinnaur-16, two at Sirmaur and two in Shimla districts. Chief minister Virbhadra Singh also held an urgent review meeting for relief and restoration operations at Mandi, where he is engaged in campaigning for the parliamentary bye-poll.
Himachal has witnessed overall rainfall of 151 percent above the normal for this period. At the worst affected Kinnaur and Sirmour districts, the rainfall was 1229 per cent and 798 per cent above normal rainfall, respectively.Apart from 20 deaths, over 300 houses had been damaged and the loss of over 130 cattle heads were reported as per preliminary reports though the actual figures might increase. Chief minister, said that heavy damages and losses were reported in various parts of the state due to incessant rains, landslides and snow, particularly in the tribal district of Kinnaur, where maximum loss of life, damage to roads and property had been reported.
He directed the officers to evacuate the remaining about 400 people within next two days. Singh said that besides one state government helicopter, two helicopters of IAF had been pressed into service for evacuating stranded persons from Sangla valley; Rekong Peo and upper areas of Kinnaur and 210 persons were evacuated on Tuesday, while 69 persons were evacuated on Wednesday.
Such is the devastation that out of the 356 revenue village in Kinnaur, 257 villages have still no electricity while in rest of the villages the electricity has been restored. As per preliminary reports about 200 km of road has been damaged and National Highways have been damaged at nearly 70 places across the state.
The Chief Minister said that heavy damage was reported in horticulture and agriculture
sector and some orchards were completely washed away due to incessant rains. He directed the officers of horticulture and agriculture department to assess the loss and provide immediate relief to the sufferers.
Meanwhile, state government is also making elaborate arrangement for Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) for the choppers engaged in rescue and evacuation operations as on Wednesday two IAF choppers remained grounded due to shortage of fuel.
Chief secretary Sudripto Roy said that problem of re-fuelling of helicopters had been sorted out and aviation fuel dumps have been created at Rampur and Shimla (Annandale ground). He informed that stranded tourists were being air lifted to Rampur.
Kaul Singh Thakur, revenue and health minister said that two disaster units had been created at IGMC Shimla and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Medical College & Hospital, Tanda to provide immediate medical aid to the needy persons.