Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is visiting the site of the devastating cloudburst at Jadon village in Mamlig Tehsil of Solan district (Image: twitter.com/SukhuSukhvinder)

The Northern Indian States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are witnessing flash floods due to heavy rainfall, on Monday. Over 50 people have been killed in the past two days in Himachal Pradesh alone due to incessant rainfall, according to reports.

‘Shimla, Himachal Pradesh experienced a remarkable 131.60mm of rainfall in a single day, marking the second highest on record’, reported the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) through X (formerly Twitter).

A red alert has also been issued in six districts of Uttarakhand. Localised flooding, landslides, and lightning are also predicted.

“Uttarakhand is predicted to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall reaching extremely heavy levels”, said IMD through X.

सोलन जिले के ममलीग तहसील के जडोंन गांव में विनाशकारी बादल फटने की घटना स्थल का दौरा किया। इस दुःखद घटना में हमने 7 जिंदगियों को खोया है । प्रकृति के इस केहर ने हमे कभी न भरने वाले ज़ख्म दिए है। जैसे ही मैं मलबे के बीच खड़ा हुआ, मुझे उन लोगों का दर्द महसूस हुआ जिन्होंने वहां… pic.twitter.com/ND9bz74GlY

— Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) August 14, 2023

According to NDTV, the rain and resulting flood has blocked rivers, streams, and national highways. Route to the holy shrines like Badrinath, Kedarnath, and Gangotri is also blocked. 

The rivers Ganga, Mandakini and Alaknanda are overflowing crossing the danger mark.  

Continuous rain has already caused a massive landslide in Shimla. Nine people have died after a temple collapsed. 

The rain has also washed several vehicles and destroyed buildings and bridges. ‘Around 1,169 houses and a vast amount of agriculture were also damaged’, reported the NDTV. 

Rishikesh (a city in Uttarakhand) has been witnessing high rainfall in the past 24 hours. Districts including Rishikesh, Dehradun, Pauri, Champawat, Tehri, and Nanital have recorded substantial rain, said IMD.

Seven people have died in a cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district, reported the Hindustan Times. 

“Avoid areas prone to waterlogging, and stay away from vulnerable structures”, said the national weather department. 

“In the next 24 hours, there is a chance of moderate rain in Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan, Una, Kinnaur, Lahaul, Spiti, and heavy to very heavy rain at one or two places”, it added. 

In India, “the frequency and severity of climate change is increasing”, said experts to the Hindustan Times.