Mandi Calamity: Search Continues for Missing Individuals

Mandi, August 21: As soon as morning breaks, the administration’s machinery gets to work on removing large stones and debris. This process continues throughout the day. Daily, relatives come to this machine with the hope that today they might find their loved ones safe and sound. However, as night falls, their hopes are shattered.

Due to heavy rainfall, a calamity struck, and 6 people from the district have been missing since August 14, including a 6-month-old infant. The missing individuals were residing in the Maserana and Sambal villages under the Mandi Sadar sub-district. In Maserana village, the house and dairy of a grandmother, along with all her belongings, were swept away by the fast-flowing water. 17-year-old Kritika Thakur from Dhalwahana village was visiting her 61-year-old grandmother Mina Devi in Maserana village. Both were in deep sleep during the morning hours when suddenly heavy rainfall caused their house to collapse, and they were carried away by the swift current.

Relatives have stated that while the administration is conducting search operations with machinery, they themselves have searched extensively for both missing individuals, but haven’t found any trace of them. Although the cattle shed at the house was found washed away with the remains of the animals, the fate of the missing individuals remains unknown.

Maserana village, like Sambal village, witnesses daily search operations by the administration. However, recently, the bodies of two migrant laborers were recovered from Sambal village, but four individuals are still missing, including a 6-month-old infant. Among the missing are three members of the same family – 18-year-old Monica, her 6-month-old daughter Saniya, and her 17-year-old sister-in-law Ravita Kumar. The rest of the family managed to survive, but these three were swept away with their house during the disaster. Monica had gone inside to bring her 6-month-old daughter when the house collapsed due to the heavy rains. Another migrant laborer is also missing in the area. Search operations are underway to locate all of them.

ASP Mandi, Sagar Chandra, mentioned that 16 bodies have been recovered in the district so far, while 6 people are still missing. Search operations are being conducted to find them.