HP rains: Death toll climbs to 71; 'mountain-like challenge' before state, says CM Sukhu
Himachal Pradesh after devastating rains pounded the state, with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu terming the work of rebuilding infrastructure a «mountain-like challenge». The death toll from landslides and flashfloods jumped on Wednesday as rescuers pulled out more bodies from the rubble of collapsed buildings, officials said. Heavy rains have battered the hill state since Sunday, triggering landslides in several districts including Shimla where three areas — Summer Hill, Fagli and Krishna Nagar — are badly hit by landslips.
«At least 71 people have died in the past three days and 13 are still missing. As many as 57 bodies have been recovered since Sunday night,» Principal Secretary (Revenue) Onkar Chand Sharma said. Earlier, Chief Minister Sukhu said that about 60 people have died since Sunday night.
In an interview with PTI, Sukhu said his state will take a year to rebuild the infrastructure wrecked by the heavy rains this monsoon and claimed that the estimated loss in the two devastating spells of heavy rains — this week and in July — is about Rs 10,000 crore. The chief minister said it takes time to rebuild roads and water projects. But the government is speeding up the process.
«We have to get the infrastructure fully restored within a year. I am working with this in mind.» «It's a big challenge, a mountain-like challenge,» he said. According to the state emergency operation centre, in total 214 people have died in the rain-related incidents in the state since the onset of monsoon on June 24 while 38 are still missing.
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