SHIMLA – A wave of shock and sorrow has descended on serene Summerhill in the capital city after a devastating flash flood wreaked havoc, leaving families torn apart and hearts heavy with grief as over a dozen more victims still remained buried under the mounds of deluge-scarred Shiv Baudi area here.
The joint efforts of NDRF, ITBP, Army, Police, Home Guards, and Fire Brigade have been valiantly working to rescue those trapped/buried under the debris. They have retrieved 11 bodies so far, while the desperate search for about a dozen more continues into its second day.
Summerhill, a Seat of Learning, has turned into a somber tableau as rescue teams battle against time to unearth those trapped under mounds of debris.
The picture of ShivBaudi before disaster struck its blow and after tells heart-wrenching story about the magnitude of the cloud burst and flash flood in Shiv Baudi.
Though nobody knows the exact number of victims feared buried under the debris, but couple of families had perished in the cataclysmic flash flood.
Among the victims are Pawan Sharma, a local businessman who had gone from his Victory Tunnel House to Shiv Baudi to celebrate his granddaughter's birthday and for his puja there.
Buried under the rubble alongside seven family members and his friends with their hopes and dreams now laying shattered.
Another heart-wrenching loss was that of a mathematics professor from HPU, who, along with his son and wife are feared to be trapped beneath the debris.
Shankar Negi, a retired bank manager, and his nephew are also among those missing under the debris.
Amidst the tragedy, Shiv Baudi Shiv temple has emerged miraculously unscathed from the mounds of death and destruction all around.
But the anguish remains for the missing worshippers who had gathered there on that fateful Monday to pay their respects.
Residents recount a cloud burst near the All Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, triggering a landslide and unleashing a torrential flash flood that swallowed up everything in its path, including the Summerhill Shiv Baudi area and 30 m long railway track of the Kalka-Shimla-track, a UNESCO's heritage track.
The track hangs in balance in the air as the 30 m retaining wall was washed away by the flash flood. The site is littered with the broken deodar trees and mud.
The disaster struck at 7 am on August 14, leaving behind destruction and sorrow in its wake.
In the face of this calamity, the state government has declared a two-day closure of schools, colleges, and institutions on August 16th and 17th in the state.
Himachal Pradesh University has extended its closure until August 19, in view of the profound tragedy that has claimed over 11 lives so far and toll may go up.
While eleven bodies have been recovered, the search for the remaining victims is an ongoing race against time.
HP Governor Shiv Pratap Mishra, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihoti, PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and others visited the site expressed solidarity withe bereaved families.
