4 killed in Dharampur flash floods; house collapse adds to woes

At least four people were killed and many buses and small vehicles were washed away in Son Khad when Dharampur bus-stand of Sarkaghat sub-division of the district in Himachal Pradesh was inundated in 10-feet high flood water in one of the heaviest intermittent rainfall which continued for over 30 hours.

Three persons were buried when a house collapsed in village Sakrain in the same belt. In a heartrending scene the three persons kept crying for a long time as the villagers made frantic efforts to take them out of the debris, but failed to salvage them. One sadhu was also washed away, eyewitnesses said.

In the nearby Chauri village, a five-room house of Rakesh Kumar also gave in Friday night, but no loss of life was reported as the entire family was awake in panic of heavy rain and lightening. They rushed out as the house creaked and started collapsing. Sandhol valley has been sinking for over a decade, but the Government had not taken any preventive measure to stabilise it despite the fact the constituency is represented by powerful BJP Minister Thakur Mahender Singh MlA and former BJP Minister.

When contacted, Singh lamented that similar situation had emerged in 2013, but the Government had not paid compensation to the flood victims. He said although SDM office had been opened in Dharampur, yet the SDM sits in Sujanpur. The office is virtually unfruitful and useless. A large number of houses in the valley have developed cracks, he added.

The entire Dharampur valley has plunged into darkness was also as the transformer installed there was inundated in water and blasted. The Deputy Commissioner who rushed to the flood hit Dharampur Valley along with other officers and rescue and rehabilitation workers has reportedly been held up on the way when this report was filed due to landslides on the road.National highway No 70 has also been damaged due to landslides and falling to big rocks on the road.

Meanwhile, Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in Shimla directed all the Deputy Commissioners, Police. Home Guards and all concerned departments to be vigilant in wake of heavy rainfall and incidents of recent landslides and flash floods in the State.Terming the flash flood incident of Dharampur in Mandi district as unfortunate, the Chief Minister directed the district administration to carry out adequate measures in providing relief and rescue to the people of the area and to compensate the affected as per relief manual.

He said that it was distressing that the public property in Dharampur suffered heavy loss due to floods in Son river, following heavy rainfall. He also directed the district administration to sound alarm for the people so as they do not venture along river beds and flooded rivulets or nullahs.