In a terrifying incident a JCB, which was deployed to open a blocked road in Himachal Pradesh capital Shimla, fell into a deep gorge.
The JCB plunged around 300 metres into the gorge after a landslide.
The accident, that happened last week on the National Highway 5 in Jabli area of Shimla, was captured on camera by onlookers. The video has now gone viral on social media platforms.
The JCB driver, who was critically injured in the accident, succumbed to his wounds at a hospital.
Since the onset of the monsoon on June 20 until August 2, there have been 101 reported deaths due to rain-related incidents, with 36 people still missing.
The fatalities include 20 drownings, 19 deaths from falls, 17 deaths from cloudbursts, eight from flash floods, and five from landslides.
The state has incurred losses totalling ₹1,692 crore.
As many as 1,600 houses have been fully or partially damaged in the state. The state witnessed 51 flash floods, 28 cloudbursts and 45 major landslides.
The state witnessed 51 flash floods, 28 cloudbursts and 45 major landslides, officials said.
The SDMA also noted extensive damage to private and public infrastructure, including to homes, roads, power lines, water systems, and agriculture.
Over 300 roads closed, ‘orange alert’ issued
More than 300 roads, including two national highways, were closed on Sunday as moderate to heavy rains continued to lash parts of Himachal Pradesh.
A total of 307 roads have been closed for vehicular traffic as of Sunday morning. The majority of these, 156 roads, are in the disaster-affected Mandi district, while 68 are in Kullu district, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).
Additionally, 284 power distribution transformers and 210 water supply schemes have been affected across the state, the SEOC said.
The local meteorological office has issued an ‘orange alert’ for heavy to very heavy rains in isolated areas of the state on Monday and Tuesday.