Rains lash Himachal; key roads blocked in two districts, girl killed in shooting stone incident

Shimla, Jul 6 (PTI) Heavy overnight rain lashed parts of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, triggering flash floods that blocked key roads in Chamba and Kullu districts and killing a 14-year-old girl after a shooting stone hit her vehicle. The deceased, identified as Dikshita, a resident of Dharamshala in Kangra district, was travelling with four others when a shooting stone hit their moving vehicle on the Dhagod-Banni road. She died on the spot, police said. The vehicle, carrying five people, was returning from the Banni Mata temple. Moderate to heavy rains lashed parts of Himachal Pradesh overnight, triggering floods and blocking key roads in Chamba and Kullu districts, officials said on Monday. The Chamba-Tissa road is blocked due to a flash flood at Pangola Nala in Churah subdivision of Chamba district, while traffic was disrupted at Pagal Nala on the Larji-Sainj road in Kullu district due to flooding. Floodwaters in Barandli ravine in Naren Gram Panchayat of Rampur subdivision in Shimla district damaged the Barandli village playground and the road connecting the playground was also washed away. The footbridge connecting Pelan village to the Kurnu ravine was also flooded, posing a threat to villagers' movement. Annu Pond, head of the Naren Gram Panchayat, said that the floodwaters also partially damaged several farmers' fields. A retaining wall caved in near the Ridge ground in Shimla city following rains. Due to the continuous rise in reservoir level and the anticipation of heavy inflow, about 50 Cumecs of additional water will be released into the Sainj River through the dam gates of Parbati power station-III, located in Kullu district, dam authorities said. Officials said Jogindernagar in Mandi district was the wettest recording 97 mm of rainfall followed by Kangra 81 mm, Palampur 35.4 mm, Bharwain 34 mm, Sarahan 32.5 mm, Dharamshala 31.4 mm, Sundernagar 31.2 mm, Rohru 30 mm and Shimla 17 mm, The weather office on Monday said isolated heavy to very heavy rain is likely over Kangra, Una and Sirmaur districts, while isolated heavy rain is likely over Chamba, Mandi and Shimla districts. It also issued an orange warning of heavy to very heavy rains in Kangra, Mandi, Shimla and Solan on Tuesday. An appreciable fall was witnessed in maximum temperatures and Neri was the hottest during the day with a high of 32.6 degree Celsius while Kukumseri was the coldest at night recording a low of 11.1 degree Celsius. PTI BPL NB NB