Storm uproots trees, damages buildings in Mussoorie and Dehradun

Mussoorie/Dehradun: Strong winds and heavy rain caused widespread damage across Mussoorie and Dehradun late Thursday night, uprooting trees, damaging buildings and disrupting power supply.In Mussoorie, at least five houses in the Durga Mandir area on Camel’s Back Road were damaged after trees fell on their roofs. On Mall Road, the roof of the BSNL building was blown away, while the LIC building also suffered damage.Roofs of three hotels near Duggal Villa in Kulri were also damaged in the storm. The shed of the ropeway atop Gun Hill was blown away.Residents said the storm began shortly after midnight and continued for more than an hour. “It was frightening. We could hear strong winds and the sound of roofs crashing down. The power also went off,” said a resident of Camel’s Back Road who did not wish to be named.In Dehradun, late-night rain and thunderstorms led to uprooted trees and power outages in several areas.“We have been without electricity since midnight. A tree fell on power lines and initially workers had said electricity would be restored by Friday evening, but later informed us it would take another day. Without electricity, we cannot run our motor and store water,” said Deepak, a resident of Malsi.Fallen trees were reported from Chakrata Road and along the Dehradun-Mussoorie highway. Several commercial establishments also lost signboards and shutters. Near the Rashtrapati Udyan site, barricades installed along the boundary collapsed.Waterlogging was reported from several parts of the city, while streams and rivers were in spate during the night before water levels receded by morning.Users on social media shared videos of waterlogged streets in the city centre and raised concerns over the city’s preparedness for the monsoon.Thunderstorm conditions were again witnessed in parts of Dehradun and Mussoorie on Friday evening, prompting concerns over further damage during the upcoming monsoon season.