Shimla, Aug. 3 -- Amid a yellow alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) until August 5, moderate to heavy rain lashed several parts of Himachal Pradesh through the night, with Una district alone pummeled by a staggering 260.8 mm, the highest in 14 years. The torrential downpour, second only to the 342 mm recorded in 2011, left several areas of Una inundated, damaging roads, homes and government infrastructure, said officials. Residents and shopkeepers struggled as rainwater entered over 100 houses and shops in Una city and surrounding rural areas, many even climbing onto rooftops to escape the rising water. Waterlogging disrupted normal life and brought traffic to a standstill on key routes, including parts of the Chandigarh-Dharamshala highway, officials said. At Barnoh village, a migrant labourer and his son were rescued from a flooded brick kiln. Deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri directed the district administration to speed up relief, rescue and restoration work on war footing. Seeking a detailed report from the administration, he assured that additional resources and manpower will be made available immediately for providing relief material and assistance anywhere. Una deputy commissioner Jatin Lal said, "Continuous rain for the last 12 hours has caused flooding and road blockages in some areas. In view of the situation, all educational institutions have been closed until further orders to keep students safe." He appealed to residents to stay away from pits and riverbanks, and contact the District Disaster Management Control Cell on toll-free number 1077 in case of emergency. He added that the administration was working to clear roads and provide financial relief to those affected. "Huge damage has been caused to development projects and both public and private property, which is being assessed," he said, adding that the entire administrative staff was engaged in relief, rescue, restoration and monitoring work. Una municipal commissioner and ADC Mahendra Pal Gurjar said the civic body received 20 calls for help throughout the day and immediate action was taken at all places. Teams were deputed to clear waterlogging, debris, silt from drains and streets and improve drainage system in the affected areas, he added. Owing to a flash flood, a cofferdam, part of the Malana-I Hydro power project in Kullu district, collapsed on Friday evening. The breach resulted in several machinery and vehicles, including a hydra, a dumper, a rock breaker and a camper, getting washed away. Over in Mandi's Thalaut, a boulder damaged a house. With the Beas and its tributaries flooded, a portion of a bridge near Sujanpur Tira in Hamirpur district developed cracks. Similarly,the road link between Sujanpur Tira to Khairi near Sandhole was snapped due to the swollen river. A flash flood occurred in Lahaul and Spiti, obstructing traffic flow on SKG (Sumdo-Kaza-Gramphu) road on NH-505. Restoration work is in progress, with two excavators deployed at the site. Another flash flood in Dimphuk Nallah left NH-03 also blocked. Kullu deputy commissioner Torual S Raveesh on Saturday inspected the damaged Bhootnath bridge site and the Bhuntar old footbridge that have restricted movement. She instructed the public works department officials to ensure quick repairs after the water level decreases. She said the double-lane bridge in Bhuntar was available as an alternative A total of 403 roads, including NH 505, are closed for vehicular traffic in Himachal Pradesh, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), while 411 power distribution transformers and 196 water supply schemes were affected across the state. Since the onset of monsoon in Himachal Pradesh on June 20, the state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs.1,678 crore as of August 1. As many as 98 people have died and 36 have gone missing in rain-related incidents, while 1,526 houses have been fully or partially damaged in the state. The state had witnessed 51 flash floods, 28 cloudbursts and 45 major landslides, officials said. Over the next three days, the weather department has predicted one or two more intense spells at isolated places in Una, Kullu, Solan, Kangra, Bilaspur, Mandi, and Hamirpur. Light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, is expected in other districts....