New Delhi: Devastating rainfall has unleashed havoc upon Himachal Pradesh, the northern Indian state, resulting in a tragic toll of 61 lives lost. Unrelenting downpours triggered landslides and floods, escalating the dire situation over the past 48 hours.

Efforts to locate and rescue victims have yielded a somber discovery of 12 bodies amidst ongoing search operations in the Summer Hill area of Shimla, where an immense landslide struck. This catastrophe left nine individuals still unaccounted for. Additionally, heavy rainfall prompted a dam in the Kangra district to breach its limits, heightening the risk of flooding in low-lying regions.

In response, over 800 individuals from vulnerable areas have been relocated to safer zones, and nearly 80 people were successfully rescued from challenging terrains inundated by flooding. The Indian Air Force's boats and helicopters were enlisted to execute these daring rescues. Among the hardest-hit regions are the capital city, Shimla, as well as the districts of Mandi, Kullu, and Kangra.

The ramifications of this calamity have been severe, affecting over 300 roads and highways, damaging sections of the historic Shimla-Kalka railway track, severing bridges, rendering more than 500 power transformers inoperative, and disrupting numerous drinking-water projects. This has severely disrupted daily life within the state.

Official sources have documented the complete destruction of 720 houses and 241 shops, with an additional 7,161 houses suffering partial damage due to relentless rainfall. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu estimates the state's losses at a staggering 100 billion Indian rupees (approximately 1.2 billion U.S. dollars). The road to recovery and restoration in the affected regions is projected to span at least a year.

As the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) projects incessant rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and neighboring Uttarakhand for the next four days, a yellow alert has been issued. The state has taken preventive measures by temporarily closing all schools and colleges. Himachal Pradesh University has suspended teaching activities until August 19 due to the torrential rains.

Acknowledging the gravity of the situation, the state government has formally requested the federal government to classify this disaster as a national tragedy and provide a comprehensive compensation package for reconstruction and rehabilitation.