Himachal Monsoon: 15 Russian tourists stuck in Kasol, embassy informs police

Amid heavy rainfalls across Himachal, 15 Russian tourists have been stranded in Kasol, said Satwant Atwal Trivedi, Acting DGP of Himachal Pradesh.

Acting DPG Trivedi confirmed that the Russian embassy has informed them about the stranded tourists, and the local police are trying to establish contact with them and ensure their safety.

“We received info from the Russian Embassy that 15 Russian tourists are stranded in Kasol. We are trying to establish contact and once we will be able to contact the tourists we will inform the Embassy about their well-being,” Acting DGP Trivedi said.

“The team is deployed everywhere in the state. We are continuously working to ensure the safety of the people. We have set up four lines and trying to contact people across the country to inform them about their families. 200 people have been contacted since morning and their family has been informed about their well-being. We are also contacting the embassies.”

Himachal authorities working 24×7 to contact people, ensure well-being: Acting DGP

Acting DGP Trivedi further detailed the ongoing rescue and relief operations in the state which has been hit by incessant heavy rainfall since last week. She said that the authorities were working ‘24×7’ and trying to contact people across the country to inform them of their family’s well-being.

The police were also contacting hotels in the area seeking details of any tourists stranded there.

Himachal Pradesh, alongside the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab, have been hit with heavy torrential rainfall since the last week, which has claimed more than 20 lives in the last 48 hours. The rainfall has led to a rise in the level of the Yamuna river and has caused infrastructural damage estimated to be between ₹3000 to 4000 crore.

Himachal Deputy CM visits relief camp; assures help from govt

The large-scale destruction of property across the state has displaced a large number of people, and relief camps have been set up to accommodate people.

Mukesh Agnihotri, Deputy Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, reached Mandi on Tuesday to take stock of the relief camps in the area and visited the Sadar Vyas Relief Camp, where arrangements have been made to accommodate up to 300 people.

Agnihotri interacted with the people in the relief camps and ensured that the state government was doing everything possible to ease their plight. He also appealed to the Union Government to assist the disaster-stricken state.

Agnihotri said, “These are the people whose houses have been affected by floods. Every possible help is being given to these people from our side and from the side of the administration, government assistance can also be announced.

“We want the central government to help us because the whole country is trying to extend a helping hand towards Himachal at this time. Only with the help of NDRF will not work, financial assistance should also be given to the government, we wanted the government to declare this as of now and provide some help.”