Windstorms, lightning wreak havoc in several parts of HP

Shimla: Amid an orange alert, powerful windstorms and lightning struck several parts of Himachal Pradesh in the early hours of Monday, uprooting trees, blowing away roofs, damaging houses and cowsheds and triggering power outages.Around two dozen houses and a dozen cowsheds were damaged in parts of Kullu district, including in the Banjar sub-division and the Kaisdhar area near Kullu, after a windstorm struck around 3 am.The roofs, especially the tin roofs, were blown off, and dozens of trees were uprooted, many of which damaged the houses. The Aut-Luhri Highway 305 remained blocked for several hours at Jalori Jot after the uprooted trees fell on the road. The highway was reopened in the morning after locals removed the trees.Gusty winds blew away the roof of a building adjacent to the Bijli Mahadev temple complex, and a tree fell on the structure, damaging it.According to the Kullu administration, at least seven school buildings were also partially damaged, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs 6.80 lakh.The sudden storm accompanied by lightning triggered panic among many villagers, who rushed out of their homes. Villagers said that the roofs of cowsheds were also blown away and demanded compensation from the local administration. A storm also disrupted the power supply in several places across the district.In Kangra district, trees uprooted by a windstorm fell on the Pathankot-Jogindernagar railway track at several spots. Power outages were also reported in parts of Una and Hamirpur districts.In Palampur's Brindaban area, a linesman, Mohan Lal, was electrocuted while repairing storm-hit power lines on Monday morning.Thunderstorms and gusty winds were also reported from parts of Shimla, Sirmaur and Solan districts.The weather department has issued an orange alert for thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds and hailstorms in Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and Sirmaur districts for May 12, while a yellow alert has been issued in Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Chamba, Kangra and Solan districts for May 12.Saach Pass Reopened (Box)The high-altitude Saach Pass, which connects the remote Pangi valley with the rest of Chamba district, was reopened for light vehicles after seven months. A public works department official said that the route was reopened almost a month in advance. The Saach Pass, located at an altitude of around 4,400 metres, is closed every year at the beginning of winter in October due to heavy snowfall.MSID:: 131015074 413 |