2 dead, vehicles swept away as storm, heavy rain trigger flood in Saharanpur

Meerut: Two people died and over a dozen vehicles were swept away late Thursday night after a storm, accompanied by heavy rainfall, struck the Shakambhari Devi temple area in Saharanpur district. The severe weather followed intense rainfall in the Shivalik hills, which triggered flooding in local rivers and seasonal streams.Officials said water levels in streams near the temple rose rapidly, sweeping away around 10 to 12 vehicles parked on the dry bead of the stream. Administrative teams, along with local residents, carried out rescue operations throughout the night and recovered the bodies of two women who had been swept away in the floodwaters. The victims include Savitri Devi, 60, a resident of a nearby village, and another unidentified individual.The strong winds also uprooted green nets, bamboo structures, iron pipes and temporary installations across the city, disrupting traffic on several major roads. Long traffic jams were reported on Friday morning as debris remained scattered across the thoroughfares.District magistrate Arvind Kumar Chauhan said, “Restoration work is underway, and teams are clearing roads and restoring normalcy in affected areas,” he said.In view of the damage to the temple premises and the weather alerts issued by the meteorological department, the district administration has suspended darshan (sacred viewing) at the temple from May 29 to May 31.Temple authorities said devotees will be allowed to visit the shrine starting June 1, subject to weather conditions.