Chandigarh: More than 20 people are reported missing in Himachal Pradesh capital Shimla following cloudburst this morning. The Disaster relief force has been rushed to the spot.The cloudburst was reported in Rampur in Shimla.Further details awaited.The regional Met office has issued an 'orange' alert for heavy to very heavy rain, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, in isolated places across the hill state for Thursday.
The wet spell in the state is predicted to last till August 6.The Met office has four colour-coded warnings -- green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action).Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi told news agency PTI that 48 roads were closed and about 60 power schemes affected due to the recent spell of rain.The weather office has warned of the possibility of landslides and flash floods in vulnerable areas of Kullu, Solan, Sirmaur, Shimla and Kinnaur districts and damage to plantations and standing crops, vulnerable structures and kutcha houses due to strong winds and waterlogging in low-lying areas.In the 24 hours, Dharamshala recorded 127.6 mm rainfall, followed by Una at 60.2 mm, Manali at 45 mm, Jogindernagar at 27 mm, Kangra at 21.6 mm, Saloni at 18.2 mm, Palampur at 17.4 mm, Nahan at 16.1 mm and Kasauli at 15 mm, the regional Met centre in Shimla said.Data recorded till Tuesday showed that rain-related incidents had claimed 65 lives since the onset of monsoon on June 27. The state has also suffered losses to the tune of Rs 433 crore, according to the state's Emergency Operation Centre.Kukumseri in Lahaul & Spiti was the coldest place in the state on Wednesday, recording a night temperature of 12.8 degrees Celsius, while Bhuntar in Kullu district was the hottest with a day temperature of 36.2 degrees.With inputs from PTI