Rain, flash floods upend lives

From Himachal Pradesh in the north to Kerala in the south, rains caused water levels of rivers and dams to rise and inundate residential areas and agricultural fields

- PRESS TRUST IF INDIA

Raging waters swallowed roads and bridges, swept away buildings and cut off villages in parts of India Thursday as the rain gods refused to relent, leaving many stranded and rescuers scrambling to reach them.

Kashmir, however, breathed easy as a letup in rain after two days eased the flood threat. In Himachal Pradesh, flash floods in the Ravi river washed away several government buildings in the remote Bada Bangal village in Kangra district, officials said.

The Bada Bangal village, located at an altitude of 7,800 feet, is accessible only by foot through the high-altitude Thamsar and Kalihani passes. It remains cut off from the rest of the state for four to six months during winters.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, 536 roads are closed across 11 of the 12 districts in Himachal Pradesh. Reports from Chamba have not been received as the communication network in the district is snapped, it said.

According to the meteorological department, a spell of light to moderate rain at scattered to fairly widespread places with a possibility of moderate to heavy rain or thundershowers in a few districts of Jammu is likely from August 30 to September 1.