In this file image, farmers carry apples from an orchard in Shimla.
Credit: PTI Photo
Shimla: An overnight flash flood triggered by a cloudburst damaged the Rohru-Rampur Road in Himachal Pradesh's apple belt, officials said on Saturday.
The late-night cloudburst in the Rampur area of Shimla district also led to the closure of 132 roads, including National Highway 5.
A landslide near the Negulsari sliding point in Kinnaur has cut off the district from Shimla while 1,235 power supply schemes have been affected.
The officials said there were also reports of roads being blocked due to landslides and flash floods in Sirmaur and Chamba districts.
The cloudburst in the Taklopch panchayat of Rampur damaged several orchards but there has been no reports of human casualty, Deputy Commissioner (Shimla) Anupam Kashyap said.
Directions have been issued to repair the damaged roads and restore water and power supply, he said.
The Rampur-Rohru Road was damaged at several places near the Kholti nullah and a bridge was washed away, he said.
Farmers, especially apple growers, are worried as the growing season is in full swing and transporting the produce to markets will become difficult, said local villager Sanjay Kumar.
Superintendent of Police (Shimla) Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi told PTI that directions had been issued to reopen the damaged roads at the earliest so that the apple growers did not suffer.
The State Emergency Operation Centre said 72 roads were closed in Shimla, 31 in Mandi, nine in Kangra, eight in Kullu, four in Kinnaur, three in Sirmaur, two in Chamba and one each in Hamirpur, Una and Lahaul & Spiti districts.
It added that 1,235 power and 10 water supply schemes were also affected.
This is the second major cloudburst incident in the Rampur area since July 31.
Flash floods triggered by a cloudburst on July 31 in the Samej area of Rampur claimed 19 lives while 14 people are still missing.
The Met office has issued a 'yellow' alert for heavy rain in isolated places of the state till August 23 and warned of low to moderate flash flood risk in parts of Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla and Sirmaur districts till Sunday.
Since Friday evening, Naina Devi recorded the highest rainfall at 108.2 mm, followed by Hamirpur (76 mm), Palampur (68 mm), Una (67.2 mm), Gohar (65 mm), Baggi (48.8 mm), Bilaspur (40.8 mm), Dharamshala (40.2 mm) and Malraon (40 mm).
Himachal Pradesh's rainfall deficit this monsoon stood at 22 per cent as on Saturday, with the state receiving 405.9 mm rain against an average of 519.5 mm.
The officials said 120 people were killed in rain-related incidents and the state suffered losses of about Rs 1,129 crore between June 27 and Friday.