Himachal: 70k tourists evacuated to safety, 500 stay back as rescue ops after heavy rains end
Shimla
Around 70,000 tourists were evacuated while 500 voluntarily chose to stay back as the Himachal Pradesh government on Wednesday ended rescue operations, that were required owing to flash floods caused by recent heavy rains.
Informing about this, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said around 70 thousand tourists have been evacuated to safer locations from heavy rains affected areas of Kullu, Mandi, and Lahaul Spiti districts.
Around 500 tourists had voluntarily decided to stay back and they were being taken care of and were being provided with food and other essential items, Sukhu added.
The CM said the government had given priority to the safety of life of all the tourists that were stranded after recent flash floods caused by record heavy rainfall in Himachal.
Immediately, the government started rescue operations were started in the flood-affected areas on a large scale and it was successfully completed with the cooperation of all.
About 15000 vehicles have been sent out from Himachal Pradesh and besides this, electricity, water and mobile services have been temporarily restored in 80 percent of the disaster-affected areas.
“Efforts are being made to restore essential services in the remaining areas at the earliest,” he said while praising members of agencies of state as well as Center government, NDRF, Indian Army etc for the success of rescue operations.
Sukhu said the heavy rains had caused extensive damage to the state with Rs 8000 crore damage reported to roads, houses, shops, electricity and water supply schemes.
“The people of the state have faced the fury with a brave heart and the government is fully with them in this hour of grief, he said while urging the Indian government to help the state generously at the earliest.
