Mysore/Mysuru: Amidst the relentless onslaught of monsoon rains and a powerful western disturbance wreaking havoc in North India, a group of Mysureans, including a newly wed couple, who embarked on a packaged tour to the affected region, have been confirmed as safe.

District Disaster Management Officer Sudheer told Star of Mysore this morning that all the Mysuru tourists in North India are accounted for.

The fury of the monsoon and the accompanying weather system unleashed destruction, with landslides, flooding and swelling rivers like Beas and Sutlej ravaging the mountains and plains.

Houses, cars, towns, cities, villages and farmlands fell victim to the force of nature.

In the midst of this chaos, Srinidhi, Navya, Veer, Ankush Parmar and Neha Bhatkal, the newly wedded couple, were exploring Kullu-Manali when heavy rains and floods struck the area.

Ankush and Neha embarked on their journey to North India on July 1, with their planned return date being yesterday. Ankush managed to contact his mother via phone last Sunday, but since then, their mobile phones have been unreachable, causing great anxiety among their family members as messages went unanswered.

Around 50 individuals from various parts of Karnataka were also part of this tour to North India. However, with the assurance from the District Disaster Management Officer that all Mysureans are safe, their loved ones now eagerly await their safe return to the city.

This morning’s reports said that a portion of the Manali-Leh National Highway collapsed, cutting off road connectivity to Lahaul-Spiti district and Ladakh. Efforts are underway to rescue around 300 stranded tourists and residents in Lahaul-Spiti and Kullu districts as soon as weather conditions permit, with helicopters being utilised for the operation.

Additionally, approximately 70 tourists heading towards Manimahesh Lake in the Bharmour region of Chamba district find themselves stranded.  The devastating rainfall has claimed the lives of 80 people in Himachal Pradesh, with additional casualties reported in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan.