Amid Himachal Pradesh’s heaviest monsoon spell, a three-storey hotel in the popular tourist destination of Manali collapsed on Monday and got washed away in the flood waters. As the state grapples with the aftermath of flash floods and landslides, several videos have gone viral on social media showing the trees, vehicles and houses being washed away due to torrential rain battering the hill state for nearly the past 72 hours.
In one such dramatic video, shared by a user on Twitter, a hotel in Manali’s Aloo Ground, by the river, was seen crumbling down like a pack of cards and being washed away in seconds.
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There was no loss of life in the incident and the hotel did not have any guests at the time. However, it added to the widespread devastation in the city, which is among the worst-hit regions in the state.
Several vital bridges got tossed up in the flash flood fury and houses and multi-storey buildings, especially those on the banks of rivers, got washed away. Another video showed a bus being swept away in the rainwater in Manali.
According to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), the flood situation in the Beas River has further worsened today and the water level rose near the Kullu-Manali section of the national highway.
The weather department forecasted further heavy rains in the area today. The IMD said that rainfall is likely to reduce after Tuesday, however, flash floods are likely.
Hundreds remain stranded amid ongoing relief and rescue operations in Himachal Pradesh. The HP Traffic, Tourist and Railways Police warned commuters to avoid unnecessary travel and steer clear of rivers and landslide-prone areas.
