- Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank in Thunag has been flooded with water and debris
- The bank holds accounts of 150 traders and serves a town population of around eight thousand
- Damage to cash, documents and jewellery in the bank is estimated to be worth crores of rupees
Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank in Thunag town of Mandi district saw hundreds of customers, including traders from nearby towns, walk in day in and day out to deposit their earnings. People trusted the bank with their life savings, believing it was the safest place for their money, documents and even jewellery. The bank still stands tall, but the trust might have been washed away in the devastating cloudburst and flash floods in the state.
The first floor of the two-storey bank building is filled with water and debris. The flow of water was such that the shutter on one side was uprooted while the other two shutters crooked.
There is no clarity on the extent of the loss and damage, which is estimated to be in crores of rupees and includes jewellery worth lakhs. Once the debris is removed, damage will be assessed.
The bank, located in the middle of Thunag market, had accounts of 150 traders, who would transact regularly.
Local trader Hari Mohan said that this was the only bank for a town with a population of eight thousand.
"It is an old bank and undertakes a lot of transactions every day. However, at present, the cash, documents and lockers kept in the bank have all turned into rubble," said Mr Mohan.
Some locals are guarding the bank from any robbery as valuables swept away by floods are at risk of being stolen.
Between June 20 and July 6, Himachal Pradesh has witnessed 23 flash floods, followed by 19 cloud burst incidents and 16 landslides. This has led to 78 deaths, out of which 50 people died in rain-related incidents, while 28 deaths were reported in road accidents.
At least 37 people are still missing and 115 have been injured.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts "very heavy rain, thunderstorm and lightning, squall" today and heavy rain for July 8 and 9.
A red alert has been issued in three districts -- Sirmaur, Kangra, Mandi -- and an orange alert in seven districts -- Shimla, Solan, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Una, Kullu and Chamba.
