Sher-e-Punjab restaurant in Manali washed away amid floods in Himachal

Sher-e-Punjab, a popular restaurant in Himachal Pradesh’s Manali, has been swept away except for the front portion as heavy rain triggered landslides and flash floods at several places in the state.

The video of the damaged Sher-e-Punjab eatery has been shared on X (formerly Twitter).

Also read: Himachal grapples with incessant rain; yellow warning issued, 339 roads shut

“It’s 6:00 AM in Manali, the main highway has been completely washed away right in front of our car, and several buildings just a few meters away have also been swept off, including Sher-e-Punjab and nearby cafes,” X user Rattan Dhillon wrote on Tuesday (August 26).

Buildings collapse, highways cut off

Shops were washed away, buildings collapsed, and highways were cut off in Himachal Pradesh, officials said on Tuesday.

The state reported 12 flash floods, two major landslides, and one cloudburst since Monday evening. Nine flash floods occurred in the Lahaul and Spiti district, two in Kullu and one in Kangra, while a cloudburst was reported in the Chamba district.

Also read: Punjab floods: Rescue efforts intensified, boats used to evacuate people

No loss of life was reported in any of these incidents. However, one person drowned in Kangra district, while another died after falling from a height in Kinnaur. A total of 680 roads were closed in the state as of Tuesday evening, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.

Of the roads closed, 343 are in the Mandi district and 132 in Kullu. Also, around 1,413 transformers and 420 water supply schemes were disrupted, the SEOC said. The local meteorological office has issued an 'orange' alert for heavy rains in isolated areas in Mandi, Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur districts on Friday, and in Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Shimla districts on Saturday.

Part of Manali-Leh highway washed away

Strong currents of the Beas river washed away a multi-storey hotel and four shops in Kullu district's Manali in the early hours of Tuesday.

With the river in spate, the gushing waters entered the Alu ground in Manali, while the national highway connecting Chandigarh and Manali was damaged at several places.

Approximately 200 metres of the Manali-Leh highway was also washed away by the waters of the swollen Beas River, leading to the route being closed and tourists being left stranded.

(With agency inputs)