Cloudburst in Dharamsala; flood water, debris enter shops

Dharamsala, September 2

Thirteen shops were damaged in flash floods triggered by a cloudburst in the Indrunag temple area of Dharamsala today. Locals noticed a sudden rise in the water level in a nullah following the cloudburst. They said that they heard a loud sound and soon flood water along with debris from the nullah entered 13 shops.

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Nipun Jindal said that there was no loss of life in the incident. “There have been reports that some shops in the Indrunag temple area have been damaged. Teams have been sent to the area to assess the damage,” he added.

Sources said that besides private property such as shops and houses, transformers of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd. (HPSEB) were also damaged. As a result, many areas remained without power. A bridge over the nullah was also damaged in flash floods. Some private vehicles parked near the nullah also suffered damage.

The sources said that the nullah was blocked due to landslide debris deposited in the flash floods.