M A I N   N E W S

Kinnaur district cut off
Flash floods wash away bridge, roads
Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 6
The entire Kinnaur district was cut off after flash floods in the Baruni and Roplu khads washed away a bridge on the Hindustan-Tibet highway and vast stretches of road near Jhakri today.

According to reports reaching here there were 18 major landslides between Jhakri and Jeori on a 12 km stretch of road. The bridge, was 400 metres short of Jhakri. The flash floods also resulted widespread damage to the alternative Rampur-Baira link road on which a bridge had also been washed away.

While some portion of the road sank, the remaining was littered with debris. According to the PWD authorities it would take more than a week to make temporary arrangement for vehicles to cross the Baruni khad. Thereafter, a Bailey bridge would be put up to restore the road links.

The road between Jeori and Rekong Peo was also blocked as flash floods in Manglad khad caused extensive damage to the road.

Meanwhile, there were reports that parts of Nanti and Khiuncha villages in Pandrah Bees area, which was ravaged by floods on Saturday, were sinking. The villagers had vacated six houses, which fell in the sinking zone. Relief parties could not reach the areas.

Mr Singhi Ram, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, visited the area. He directed the PWD authorities to start restoration work on a war footing. The total loss on account of damage to roads in today’s flood was put at Rs 2.5 crore.

This is the second time in three years that Kinnaur has been cut off. In August, 2000, flash floods in the Satluj caused widespread damage and the area remained cut off for several months.

Meanwhile the villages in the interiors of Chamba and Rampur districts and certain parts of Kullu district remained cut off due to landslides.

Four occupants of a jeep were washed away when their vehicle plunged into the Sutlej river near Apka village in the tribal district of Kinnaur last night.

Official reports reaching here today said the driver of the vehicle lost control and as a result the jeep skidded off the road and fell into the Sutlej.

Search parties, despite their best efforts, have neither recovered the vehicle nor the bodies.

Several parts of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana received heavy rain today with Faridabad recording a downpour of 50 mm.