August 15 marked a grim Independence Day for Himachal Pradesh as the death toll due to rain-related destruction rose to 52.
Heavy precipitation a day earlier had led to flash floods, landslides, and building collapses. Rescue operations continued on the second day, especially in Shimla's Summerhill and Fagli areas.
Commenting on the latest developments, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, "Dealing with this devastation, restoration work, building roads etc will take a long time."
When asked about the reopening of schools, he said, "It depends on the weather. We will take a decision after discussions in the evening."
On coordination with the Central government, the CM revealed, "Yesterday, I spoke to Amit Shah. I spoke to JP Nadda, Kharge, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi. All of them spoke about assistance."
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