The death toll in the Himachal Pradesh monsoon mayhem touched 52 as of Tuesday morning. The worst-hit areas include the districts of Mandi and Solan, where over 19 and 11 died, respectively.
Heavy rains wreaked havoc in Shimla and Sirmaur districts too, reported local media.
Landslides triggered by the downpour blocked key roads and damaged homes and buildings. Over 11 people, including a child, are said to have died after the Shiva temple in the Summer Hill area collapsed. Officials said rescue work continues as more are feared dead.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Army along with police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) resumed rescue operations at Summerhill around 6 am and recovered one body, Deputy Commissioner of Shimla Aditya Negi told PTI.
The shrine was crowded with devotees, offering prayers on an important day of the holy month of Sawan.
Meanwhile, the Pong Dam on the Beas River in Himachal Pradesh has recorded the highest-ever inflow since it became operational in 1974. As per local reports, over 300 people have been stranded in the Indora sub-division of Kangra district and officials have sought the help of the Indian Air Force for help to rescue the stranded people.
The Bhakra Beas Management Board officials said the water level at Pong touched 1,395.31 feet on Monday afternoon, compared to the upper limit of 1,390 feet, hinting that the present storage is 107 per cent of its designed capacity.
The situation has prompted Punjab authorities to prepare for a potential flood situation in Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Tarn Taran districts.
Heritage rail line damaged
The Unesco world heritage Shimla-Kalka railway line was also damaged near Summer Hill here after a landslide swept away a 50-metre bridge, leaving a portion of the track hanging in the air.
The concrete bridge near Summer Hill, 6 km from Shimla, got completely destroyed and the heritage track has suffered damage at five or six places and the most affected stretch is between Shimla and Shoghi, station master Joginder Singh said.
