Heavy monsoon rains continuing for the past 36 hours have wreaked havoc in many parts of Himachal’s Sirmaur district, prompting the Paonta administration to declare a holiday on Friday for educational institutions.

As per official information, landslides have occurred at several places in the rural areas of the district, but no loss of life has been reported so far, except the death of one ox which slipped into a deep gorge near Shillai late Thursday evening.

Sirmaur’s main rivers, Tons, Yamuna, Bata, Giri and Markanda, and dozens of streams are in spate. The administration has advised people to stay away from them.

Paonta Sub-Divisional Officer Dwij Goyal has declared a holiday on Friday for all government and private educational institutions in the Paonta sub-division of Himachal’s Sirmaur district in view of an alert issued by the India Meteorological Department for heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.

– PTI