Shimla, Aug 14 (IANS): At least seven people were buried alive in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district on Monday after a cloudburst that triggered a flash flood and mudslide, officials said.

The disaster occurred at around 1.30 a.m. at Jadon village in Dhawla sub-tehsil, some 60 km from the state capital.

Officials told IANS that four bodies have been recovered and five rescued. Rescue operation is underway despite intermittent rain to trace three missing persons.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh said he was devastated to hear about the loss of seven lives.

“My heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving families. We share in your pain and sorrow during this difficult time. We have directed the authorities to ensure all possible assistance and support to the affected families during this trying period,” he said in a statement.

The rainfall havoc has caused significant damage to infrastructure and affected the lives of many people in the hill state.