Himachal rain relents, focus on rescuing 2,000 stranded tourists

The Himachal Pradesh government on Wednesday stepped up efforts to rescue over 2,000 tourists stranded in various parts of the rain-battered state, as four more people were killed and the overall toll in rain-related incidents this monsoon season increased to 72.

- Gaurav Bisht

According to officials aware of the matter, at least 300 people are stuck in Chandratal glacial lake in Lahaul and Spiti, one of the worst affected districts, and more than 2,000 in Kinnaur's Sangla valley.

While the rainfall briefly reduced on Tuesday and Wednesday, it caused havoc in several parts of the state for three days since Friday. On Wednesday, light to heavy rains lashed few parts with Dhaula Kuan recording rainfall of 144.5 mm, Renuka 87 mm, Reckongpeo 42 mm, Kotkhai 30 mm, Hamirpur 16.5 mm, Shimla 13.5 and Dharamshala 13 mm. The MeT office has issued a yellow alert and predicted heavy rainfall, thunderstorm and lightning for the upcoming weekend, and a wet spell till July 18. A yellow alert signifies that people need to stay updated about the severe weather.