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Flashfloods: 9 Gaddis still missing
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, July 31
Apart from the bodies of three teenaged girls and one labourer recovered from different places, the casualty figure due to flashfloods in the Deol and Multhan areas of Chotta Bhangal in Baijnath subdivision could be much higher, as nine Gaddis are still reported to be missing.

Nine Gaddis, who had gone to the higher reaches for grazing their sheep, have not returned home since the heavy rain and flashfloods on Sunday night. It is feared that they could have been washed away by the flashfloods. The district administration has alerted different agencies, including the Pong Dam authorities, where their bodies could be found.

The flashfloods have wiped off the family of Jaisi Ram, who had lost his wife Bimla Devi, son Devinder Kumar and daughter Sunita. Apart from this, a couple, Dogru Ram and his wife Roshni Devi, have still not returned home. The family of two brothers Virender Kumar and Narender Kumar is still awaiting their return as they had taken their sheep for grazing to the higher reaches when the flashfloods struck the area. The other Gaddis who are missing includes Nihal Chand and Kher Singh of Utrala.

Being a remote and far-flung area, information about the deaths and casualties is still pouring in. The 1-km road between Deol and Tatlani has been completely washed away along with the bridge at Luni, with an estimated loss of over Rs 2 crore to the PWD. The body of a girl killed yesterday is that of Ruma Devi, a resident of Vir Kotli.