Three die after falling from hill in Chamba

DHARAMSHALA: Two women and a girl died in two separate incidents in the Chamba district on Thursday.

Jummi, 55, and her daughter Shakina, 16, had gone to a hill near the Sanwalvillage to gather fodder for cattle. Jummi slipped on a slope while returning home and her daughter also lost balance while trying to hold her hand, said Churah SDM Hem Chand Verma.

They died on the spot due to head injuries, said the SDM, adding that a naib-tehsildar and a police team visited the family but they refused for postmortem of the bodies and did not accept the immediate relief money.

In another incident, a woman died after falling from the Nagoi hill near Parihar village. The deceased was identified as Gohdu Devi of Bainska village. She was cutting grass, along with her husband and sister-in-law, when she suddenly slipped and fell 150 metres downhill, the police said. Chamba SP Monica Bhutunguru said there was no foul play.

PILGRIMS STOPPED ON MANIMAHESH TREK

The administration in Bharmour sub-division stopped around 300 pilgrims who were about to embark on Manimahesh Yatra. The yatra officially begins on September 3 but pilgrims start to undertake the journey earlier.

Bharmour, additional district magistrate PP Singh said, “Pilgrims will be allowed to undertake the yatra only when the weather clears.” The 4-km trek from Harsar to Dunali is dangerous as turbulent streams runs parallel to it and water-level can rise suddenly during rain.

A youth had died in a landslide at Dunali on Tuesday.

POWER SUPPLY SNAPPED IN PANGI

The power supply in 14 panchayats of the tribal Pangi valley was snapped two weeks back due to technical glitch in the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd (HPSEBL)-RUN Himurja power house at Saach. HPSEBL assistance engineer Santosh Kumar said efforts reinstate power supply are underway.

CLOUDBURST AT TIRTHAN VALLEY

Mandi:cloudburst and landslide occurred at Tirthan valley of the Banjar area in Kullu district on the intervening night of August 8 and 9 at 1.30am. No loss of human life was reported but domestic animals were washed away in the flood. Three houses, a camping site and a guest house were damaged.

Banjar SDM Mani Ram Bhardwaj and local MLA Surendra Sauri reached the site. Bhardwaj said administration was estimating the loss and ex-gratia amount was distributed among the affected families.