Himachal Pradesh disaster management and mitigation department has declared that as many as 80 persons have been killed in rain related incidents since the onset of the monsoon on June 24.
The death toll in the recent spell that began on Saturday rose to 31, authorities said on Tuesday while taking took stock of the havoc caused by the incessant rains. Landslides and floods have led to blockage nearly 1,300 roads and damaged 40 major bridges.
The state emergency response centre pegged the cumulative loss at about Rs 1,050 crore since the onset of monsoon on June 24. Data from the centre show 80 were killed, while 10 are still reported missing. Of 80 rain related deaths reported so far, the data attributed 24 to road accidents, 21 to landslides, 12 to fall from height, seven to accidental drowning, five to flash floods, four to electrocution, two to snake bite and five were recorded as others.
Data showed 1,299 roads as blocked due to landslides and floods. The supply of essential items was hit in Shimla and Manali, as the Chandigarh-Manali and the Shimla-Kalka national highways were closed following landslides, caving-in of roads and flooding.
A total of 3,737 water supply schemes were affected, 79 houses have been damaged completely and 333 partially. Bus service was suspended on 1,284 routes of the Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC), officials said.
The CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu conducted an aerial survey of the Kasol, Manikaran, Kheer Ganga and Pulga areas. He later interacted with tourists stranded in Kullu and joined them for a meal. Earlier on Monday, Sukhu said the state is in the process of assessing the rain damage and preliminary estimates according to him would range between Rs 3,000-Rs 4,000 crore.