A bulldozer met with an accident in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla on Saturday while it was working on road construction. The video of the incident has gone viral on social media, in which the bulldozer could be seen falling into a 300-metre-deep gorge on the National Highway 5 in Jabli.
The machine fell into the gorge, and the driver of the bulldozer was critically injured in the incident. He was rushed to a hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries, as per media reports.
Watch the video here:
Heavy rains lash Himachal Pradesh
Heavy rains have lashed Himachal Pradesh over the past few days, closing vehicular traffic in the Himalayan state. As per the Himachal Pradesh government, 404 roads, including the Khab-Gramphu National Highway, have been closed.
Out of these 404 roads, 174 have been closed in disaster-hit Mandi district, followed by 111 in Chamba and 67 in Kullu, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). Besides, 411 power distribution transformers and 196 water supply schemes have been affected across the state.
This flood-like situation has resulted in significant losses for the industrial sector, residential neighbourhoods, and government offices, reports stated. Since the onset of monsoon in Himachal on June 20 till August 2, the state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1,692 crore.
So far, 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.
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, officials said.
However, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said that the state government is on full alert and is constantly monitoring the situation. The district administration has been instructed to take immediate necessary steps, prioritising the safety of residents in the affected areas, he said.
(With PTI inputs)
