Himachal cloudburst: Kharge says he's taking updates from CM, urges workers to provide help

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said updates were being taken from Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu from time to time over the cloudburst incidents in the state, as he urged party workers to extend all possible help to those affected.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi condoled the loss of lives in the cloudburst incidents, and said he had spoken with Sukhu to take stock of the "difficult situation".

Three people were killed and about 40 went missing after two separate incidents of cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh where rains washed away many houses and roads and left two hydro power projects damaged.

In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge said the news of death and disappearance of many people due to cloudburst and heavy rains in many areas of Himachal Pradesh, including Shimla, Mandi and Kullu, is very saddening.

"While expressing our deep condolences to the bereaved families, we hope and pray that the missing people are found as soon as possible," the Leader of Opposition on the Rajya Sabha said.

"In this work, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh is himself visiting the site of the incidents and the help of NDRF and SDRF teams is being taken. We are taking updates from the Chief Minister from time to time on this calamity," Kharge said.

Kharge urged Congress workers to help all those affected.

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "The news of the death and disappearance of many people due to cloudburst and heavy rainfall in Shimla, Mandi and Kullu is extremely saddening." "I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families in this difficult time,"the former Congress chief said in a post in Hindi on X.

Gandhi said he had taken stock of this difficult situation by talking to Sukhu.

"He (Sukhu) informed that he himself is visiting these sites of incidents and during this time, the NDRF, the SDRF and the state administration are continuously involved with commitment in relief and rescue operations in this hour of crisis," Gandhi said.

He hoped that all the missing people would be found as soon as possible.

In a post in Hindi on X, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "The news of several deaths and a large number of people going missing due to cloudburst in Shimla, Mandi and Kullu of Himachal Pradesh is heartbreaking." "May God grant peace to the departed souls. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families," she said.

Many teams of the NDRF, the SDRF and state administration are engaged in relief and rescue work with full capacity, she noted.

"I pray to God to keep all the people of Himachal safe," Priyanka Gandhi added.