Watch: Iconic Manali eatery swept away amid floods, only entrance left standing
Intense monsoons in Himachal Pradesh have caused 690 road closures and at least 156 deaths, with flooding from the Beas affecting major highways.
A big portion of he iconic Sher-e-Punjab restaurant in Himachal Pradesh's Manali was swept away amid incessant rain and high water levels of the Beas river nearby. Viral videos showed most of the structure gone, with only the entrance gate and wall of the restaurant still standing.
Himachal Pradesh has been witnessing uninterrupted downpour and flood-like situations for many days now.
The restaurant, which stands just a few feet behind the Beas, was seen with only its front wall and door intact, viral videos showed.
The level of the Beas river rose further on Tuesday after 20,000 cusec of water was released from the Largi Dam, reported PTI.
Authorities have advised people to stay away from the riverbanks and landslide-prone areas as continuous rains pound Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
In Himachal Pradesh today, weather has reportedly been clear in Mandi after days of incessant rainfall in several parts of the state. However, the India Meteorlogical Department has issued a red alert for heavy rainfall in Chamba, Kangra and Mandi for the next two days.
Monsoon wreaks havoc in Himachal
Himachal Pradesh has been seeing the fury of intense monsoons for over two months now, with numerous landslides, road closures and significant loss of life and property.
A total of 690 roads were closed in the state as of Tuesday morning, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). Of the roads closed, 320 are in the Mandi district and 132 in Kullu.
Two major sections of the national highway were washed away, while the Manali to Burua road was also wiped out near Old Manali.
Approximately 200 meters of the Manali-Leh highway was also washed away by the waters of the swollen Beas River, leading to the route being closed and tourists being left stranded, reported news agency PTI.
With the river in spate, the gushing waters entered the Alu ground in Manali, while the national highway connecting Chandigarh and Manali was damaged at several places.
After the recent hit, more shops were washed away, buildings collapsed, highways were cut off, and residential areas inundated as heavy rain triggered landslides and flash floods at several places.
Strong currents of the Beas river washed away a multi-storey hotel and four shops in Kullu district's Manali in the early hours of Tuesday.
Meanwhile in Kullu, water from the Ghanvi Khud stream entered houses, with two buildings and 40 shops collapsing in the Balichowki area of the district late on Monday night.
Death toll mounts
At least 156 people lost their lives with 38 missing in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh between June 20 and August 25, according to the SEOC.
However, no loss of life has been reported so far in any of the incidents that have occurred since Monday night.
The state has witnessed 78 flash floods, 41 cloudbursts and 82 major landslides so far. It has incurred losses to the tune of ₹2,394 crore in rain-related incidents, the SEOC data showed.
(With agency inputs)
