The rescue teams continued their search operations in full force today at the cloudburst-hit Samej village near Rampur in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh. In a bid to enhance the efforts, sniffer dogs were pressed into service to help trace the 36 people still missing since the flash floods struck the village in the intervening night of July 27-28.
Life-detector devices are also being used by the teams to locate anyone still trapped but buried under the huge piles of rubble and debris left behind by the torrential rains. However, the teams are yet to find any leads in the ongoing search for the missing individuals.
With over 300 rescue personnel from various agencies involved round the clock, the challenging terrain and massive destruction have slowed down the process. Locals informed that the gorge saw extraordinarily high velocity flows that night, with nothing left of the houses and properties washed away in the deluge. This has added to concerns over how far the missing might have been swept downstream.
The teams are carrying out intensive searches across the affected areas, while a help desk has also been established at Samej village to coordinate relief distribution. Meanwhile, restoration work is underway to repair the extensive damage to roads, electricity infrastructure and water supply schemes across the state from the heavy rainfall.
As the search and relief efforts continue with the support of locals, authorities and aid groups, hopes remain high of tracing the missing persons safely amid these difficult circumstances.
