IMD issues heavy rain warning in THESE Himachal Pradesh districts; cloudburst in Uttarakhand's Dehradun

Five districts of Himachal Pradesh -- Kangra, Chamba, Bilaspur, Sirmaur, Mandi -- will receive heavy rainfall in the next two-three hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned on Saturday morning. The weather office also predicted light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms in Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Una, Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, Kullu Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts of the mountainous state. In Uttarakhand, nature unleashed its fury in Dehradun where an early morning cloudburst triggered a flash flood. No reports of loss of life have emerged in the city thus far. 

A cloudburst also hit Himachal Pradesh's Segli near the Mandi district last night, causing a landslide. The PWD is working with the disaster response body NDRF to clear the road, Mandi DC Arindam Chaudhary said. The district has been receiving rainfall since the last night and NDRF is on alert, he added. 

#WATCH | River Tamasa in spate near Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple in Dehradun following continuous rains in the area#Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/Okxa0otY7N

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In Kullu, the authorities have ordered all schools shut due to incessant rain. The Kullu-Sainj road was closed due to landslides and a flash flood was reported in Pagal Nala. 

In Uttarakhand's Maaldevta, seven houses were washed away due to the cloudburst-induced flash floods. 40 people were rescued in Sarkhet. The bridge connecting Raipur and Thano areas has collapsed. SDRF teams have reached the spot for the rescue-and-relief operation. 

Due to torrential rains since yesterday, the Tamasa river near the Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple in Dehradun is in spate.

"Water entered the temple with full force. We pray that there is no loss of lives or property. There was a bridge over the river which has got totally destroyed," Digambar Bharat Giri, Priest, Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple, told ANI.

With inputs from ANI