Shimla, July 2 -- In what is being described as an unprecedented natural calamity, the Seraj region of Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district has been ravaged by intense cloudbursts and flash floods, leaving the area cut off from the rest of the state and triggering urgent appeals for Central government intervention. Civil society groups, including the Himalayan Niti Abhiyan, have issued a call for immediate aerial surveys and Army deployment, terming the incident a humanitarian emergency. The disaster struck late on the night of July 1, when a series of cloudbursts caused massive flash floods in the Thunag sub-division and surrounding areas. As per preliminary reports, over 150 homes and commercial structures in Thunag market were reduced to ...