Flash Floods create havoc in Himachal's Lahaul Spiti region: 1 dead, 9 missing

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a 'red' warning for Himachal Pradesh where a cloud burst was reported in Lahaul-Spiti on Tuesday. The flash flood triggered by the cloud burst resulted in death of a person, while nine others are missing, according to state disaster management director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta.

Another man is reported missing from the Chamba district, Mokhta further said. The man, a JCB helper, was washed away in the flash floods triggered by heavy rains in Chaned tehsil on the Chamba-Pathankot road.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had on Monday issued a heavy rain warning in Himachal Pradesh. Director, IMD, Himachal Pradesh, Surender Paul had said that Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba will receive rain and the low-lying areas were put on alert.

In Lahaul-Spiti, the incident took place at Udaipur in Lahaul at around 8pm on Tuesday. A 19-year-old labourer, identified as Mohammad Altaaf, was injured and rushed to a nearby hospital, the local authorities said.

A search operation for those missing was launched on Tuesday night, but was hampered by a heavy flow of water. It resumed on Wednesday morning.