HP: IAF conducts relief operation; over 11,000 kg relief material distributed, 4 patients evacuated

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India]: The Indian Air Force, which has been fully involved in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in Himachal Pradesh following the recent flood situation and landslides, continued its relief work and distributing relief material in far-flung areas on Sunday.

“IAF continues to provide humanitarian relief to flood-hit regions of Himachal Pradesh. More than 11,000 kg of relief material was air distributed in far-flung areas and 4 patients have been evacuated,” wrote IAF in a statement from the official account of Headquarter, Western Air Command, IAF on ‘X’.

Till now, at least 367 people have died in Himachal Pradesh in rain-related incidents this year since the onset of monsoon, the State Disaster Management Authority said on Friday.

In accordance with official data, an average of about seven individuals have been losing their lives daily in rain-linked occurrences within the hilly state since the monsoon’s commencement on June 24.

Principal Secretary Disaster Management Authority, Onkar Chand Sharma said, “During two months till yesterday, 367 people lost their lives with 40 people are still missing. Nearly seven people have lost lives daily due to the heavy rain and other natural disasters in the state.”

Himachal has been battered by heavy rainfall for the past several weeks and the state has suffered great loss of life as well as property in various rain-related incidents, such as landslides, cloudbursts, flash floods, etc. Apart from casualties, the disaster management said that the monetary loss is expected to reach nearly Rs 12,000 crore.

“A loss of over Rs 8,500 crore has been estimated till now, which will reach nearly Rs 12,000 crore. We had evacuated nearly 3000 people earlier to safer locations in Kangra and nearly 1000 people were sent to safe places in Mandi,” Onkar Chand Sharma said.

Over the span of two weeks, Himachal Pradesh has witnessed significant landslides occurring in various locations, the most recent being in Kullu on Thursday.

Several houses collapsed after landslide struck Kullu district on Thursday, killing over 20 people. An earlier landslide occured at Krishna Nagar in Shimla, reducing several houses into rubble and claiming several lives.