Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 26 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu condoled the deaths of two persons during the Manimahesh pilgrimage in Chamba district on Monday.
According to an official statement expressing sympathies with the affected families, the Chief Minister said that the State Government would provide all possible assistance in this hour of distress.
He prayed to the Almighty to grant peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved family members to bear this irreparable loss.
Manimahesh Yatra has been suspended for the time being due to adverse weather conditions, and the District Commissioners of Pathankot and Doda in Jammu and Kashmir have been requested to hold the pilgrims in their districts until the weather improves, the statement said.
The Chief Minister appealed to the people not to go near the rivers and nullahs to avoid any mishap, as the Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rains during the next 24 hours in the state. He said that people should follow the advisories issued by the district administrations from time to time.
Further, as per the statement, Sukhu directed the district administrations to respond promptly in the event of landslides, road blockages or flash floods so that people do not face any inconvenience, besides ensuring the proper flow of essential services to them.
The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has reported that 306 people have lost their lives due to monsoon-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh between June 20 and August 25.
According to the cumulative loss report issued on Monday, out of the total deaths, 156 were caused by natural disasters such as landslides, flash floods, and electrocution, while 150 deaths were due to road accidents.
The report stated that Himachal Pradesh has suffered a total loss of Rs 2,39,428.50 lakh during this period. Along with human casualties, 25,755 poultry birds and 1,843 other animals also died.
The damage to private property has been estimated at Rs 3,372.05 lakh, which includes 2,819 completely damaged and 1,641 partially damaged houses. Crop losses have been calculated at Rs 2,743.47 lakh.