A man looks out at the swollen River Beas following heavy rains in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, India. According to local reports, heavy rain fall has triggered landslides, damaged houses and caused loss of lives. - Photo: AP
NEW DELHI: The Malaysian High Commission in New Delhi is in touch with the Indian authorities for information about 12 Malaysian tourists stranded in the flood-hit region of Himachal Pradesh.
Torrential rains in parts of northern India have caused widespread floods and landslides, and Himachal, a hilly state, is severely affected.
The families of at least 12 Malaysian tourists who cannot be contacted have sought the diplomatic mission's help in locating them.
"We are in touch with the Indian authorities to find out the status of the Malaysians in Himachal Pradesh," Amizal Fadzli Rajali, Malaysia's deputy high commissioner, told Bernama.
Mobile communication networks were disrupted in some areas with thousands of vehicles waiting for rescue in various locations in Himachal due to roads being damaged.
State officials said they were trying to reach stranded local and foreign tourists.
Among them were 15 Russians, who were stuck in the Kullu district's Kasol area.
The priority is to safely evacuate tourists and then focus on repairing roads, water supplies, power lines and other infrastructure, Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu told reports on Wednesday (July 12).
"We have managed to evacuate 50% of tourists," he said, adding that by 8pm (India time) the number will reach 80%.
The damage to infrastructure was estimated to be US$500mil.
Some 80% of Himachal's water and irrigation projects have been destroyed in the calamity, the chief minister said.
Pharmaceutical company Fermenta Biotech Limited said on Tuesday (July 11) that it had suspended work at its facility situated at Kullu.
Heavy monsoon rains have also battered the states of Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana, with river waters rising sharply.
Delhi was on flood alert as the Yamuna River water level breached the danger mark. At least 100 people have died in rain-related incidents across north India. - Bernama
