M A I N   N E W S

Heavy rain hits life, 5 dead

Shimla, August 14
Five persons were killed as heavy incessant rain pounded Himachal Pradesh for the third consecutive day today, disrupting life in the region.

The torrential rains affected rail and air services and caused landslides. Power and water supplies and telecommunication services were also disrupted at some places.

All rivers, including the Beas, the Sutlej and the Yamuna, and their tributaries were in a spate in their catchment areas. A 17-year-old youth was washed away in the Yamuna at Singhpura village in Sirmour district yesterday.

One person was killed and four were injured when a vehicle carrying them fell into the Beas after a retaining wall of the road gave way at Loonta village, near Aut, in Mandi district.

In yet another incident, one person was washed away while taking bath in the Beas at Dehra Gopipur in Kangra district.

With these deaths, the toll in rain-related incidents have gone up to 10 in Himachal Pradesh so far.

Indian Airlines flights from Delhi to Kulu via Shimla were cancelled.

Two hill slips on the Solan-Barog-Kumarhatti section forced the cancellation of 241 Shivalik Deluxe, 251 Express and train from Kalka, besides 256 Himalayan Queen and 242 Shivalik Deluxe from Shimla.

Life in Hamirpur district remained paralysed for the third day today. The Hindustan-Tibet national highway was blocked beyond Jeory, 150-km from here, due to heavy landslides at Vadal and Malling.

Flash-floods caused by a cloud-burst over the Brahma Sarovar hills in the Manikaran area of Kulu district caused colossal damage in the Manikaran area, endangering Baher village.

JAMMU: The Amarnath pilgrimage resumed on Wednesday after two days despite inclement weather with a fresh batch of pilgrims leaving for the cave shrine, even as officials made arrangements to airlift devotees stranded in Srinagar to Jammu.

The Jammu-Srinagar highway was reopened on Wednesday after the BRO cleared landslides on the 18-km stretch between Ramban and Banihal. UNI, PTI