Flash floods submerge 100-foot iron bridge in HP’s Kinnaur

Flash floods triggered by heavy rains submerged a 100-foot iron bridge, cutting off Lippa village from other areas in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district on Thursday, officials said. A massive surge in the Pejar Nallah (stream) within the Lippa Panchayat obstructed the flow of the Teti Khad (drain). Consequently, the iron bridge was completely submerged and is now unsafe. Several houses located near the bridge are also at risk.

Due to rainfall since Wednesday, water levels in many of the district’s rivers and streams have risen significantly above normal. The administration is monitoring the situation and urging people to avoid venturing near water bodies and to refrain from unnecessary travel. A debris fall on the Shiller-Pathia link road near Kasauli in Solan district also impacted the traffic movement. The Shimla Met Office issued a yellow alert for heavy rains at isolated places in the state till July 15.

Since Wednesday evening, moderate to heavy rains continued to lash parts of the state, with Shimla, Kangra and Jot receiving thunderstorms and lightning.

Nahan in Sirmaur district was wettest in the state recording 89.6 mm of rainfall followed by Solan (46.8 mm), Jot (45.2 mm) Malroan (41 mm), Sarahan (38.7 mm), Poanta Sahib (34.4 mm), Kalpa (29.9 mm), Bilaspur 24.8 mm, Guler (24.4 mm), Shimla and Jatton Barrage (23.2 mm each), Dhaulakuan (20.9 mm), Rohru (20.5 mm) and Kufri (20 mm).

There was an appreciable fall in the maximum temperatures and Kangra was hottest with a high of 32.2 degrees Celsius, while Kukumseri was coldest at night with a low of 10.6 degrees Celsius.