Solan: Intermittent rains played havoc across the district as at least four persons including two children buried alive following triggering of a landslide at Chakla village in Hinner panchayat under Kandaghat subdivision in this district, last night.
The deceased were identified as Devender (30) his wife Poonam(28) and is 7 year daughter and 4 year old son. Bodies of the dead persons were sent for postmortem examination to regional hospital Solan.
Additional district magistrate Vivek Chandel said that shortly after receipt of information SDM Kandaghat reached the spot along with rescue and medical team and started the relief operations. He said that the incident took place at around 3 a. m. When the family members were in deep sleep. Heavy muck suddenly started sliding down following sinking of nearby hillock that entered the house after breaking the back wall of the building, burying all four alive.
Meanwhile skip primary school children washed away in swollen Kaushalya river when the tiny tot tried to cross over the river near Parwanoo, on Monday morning. Villagers with the help of police have started a massive search operation to trace the body of the child.
Unremitting rains have caused loss to the tune of Crores of rupees to public and private properties across the district. Beside, triggering of fresh landslides on Kalka Shimla National Highway and several other roads in all five assembly segments have led to long traffic jams. This was further forcing the farming community to suspend supplying of their cash crops like tomato, capsicum, beans and other vegetables to various markets of the country as large numbers of internal roads have been closed for vehicular traffic following landslides tat different places. The torrential rains have also caused considerable damages to various lift drinking water schemes of Irrigation and Public Health Department across the district, forcing the authorities to suspend water lifting operations on large number of schemes including Ashwani khud and Giri pumping stations supplying potable water to Solan, Dharampur, Kumahahatii and over 140 villages of Solan and Kasauli assembly segments.
Solan IPH Xen Sumit Sood said that following increase of silt in river water, water lifting operations have been suspended since last night. The presence of mud particles could cause heavy damage to water lifting pumps. (UNI)