A cloud burst at Hurla Nallah in the forests near Sheelagarh triggered a flash flood as a result of which the level of water level in Gadsa Khad rose, Kullu Superintendent of Police Gurdev Sharma said. Preliminary reports suggested that 40-50 goats went missing.
Besides, a bailey bridge at Sheelagarh on the Manyar Nullah and two transformers at Thela have also been damaged in the flash floods, he said adding, “no loss of life or injures was reported due to flash floods in Kullu."
Another flash flood at Chamba district's Lunekh Chanju village in Churah tehsil on Saturday at 4 pm, state disaster management officials stated. Again, no loss of life or kind was reported.
Meanwhile, sixteen people were killed after flash floods swept away hundreds of tents near Amarnath, officials said Saturday.
Around 10,000 people were camped near the remote Amarnath temple, nestled in a Himalayan mountain cave, when a sudden cloudburst triggered a deluge.
Frequent whirring helicopter sorties were evacuating the dead and an unknown number of panicked and injured pilgrims from the Baltal base camp to the north of the shrine.
"We found 16 bodies so far and at least 40 are missing," an official from the state disaster response agency told AFP.
"Security forces and all the rescue teams are looking for the missing and injured," the official said on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak to media.
The Indian army said it had deployed two infantry battalions and special forces units to help with the search alongside search and rescue dog squads.
They have so far taken 63 people with injuries away for treatment, including to a field hospital set up by the army in mountains near the shrine.
