481 persons have lost their lives while losses worth Rs 1,161 crore have been reported in Himachal Pradesh in monsoon season that ended on 8 October, State Disaster Management Authority Sudesh Kumar Mokhta said on Monday.

Mokhta said the monsoon season that spanned from 13 June to 8 October in the state, had resulted in the deaths of 481 persons.

“We have prepared a memorandum of Rs 1,161 crore for losses incurred in the monsoon season and it will be sent to the National Disaster Management Authority for seeking relief after getting approval from higher authorities,” he added.

He stated that Himachal had suffered a loss of Rs 650 crore to the agriculture sector owing to a drought-like situation and ensuing hailstorm in the state for which a memorandum seeking relief from the Central government had already been sent.

Besides, an inter-ministerial central team visit was scheduled for 26 October to assess the damage caused by hailstorms to crops in Himachal.

He further stated that 20 tourists had been stranded at Shinkula Pass and Batal in Lahaul Spiti district owing to a fresh spell of snowfall in the tribal area but all of them were reportedly safe.

The rescue teams had reached the stranded tourists and efforts were being made to transport them to safer locations, he added.

He advised people and visitors to not venture out high hill areas and areas prone to flash floods in inclement weather conditions that were prevailing in the state.

Meanwhile, in another incident, three persons who were the native of Nepal had been killed while three others suffered injuries in an accident in Mane village of Lahaul Spiti district.

The accident took place at around 11 pm on Sunday night when a Bolero camper in which they were travelling fell into a gorge.

All the injured had been admitted to Kaza hospital for further medical treatment while the bodies of the deceased were being handed over to their kin after conducting an autopsy.

The snowfall in higher reaches of the state had brought down mercury across the state with almost all districts receiving fresh spells of rain since Sunday morning.

The temperature had plummeted 5 degrees (recorded at Manali) in the state with a minimum temperature of 3 degrees Celsius recorded at Keylong, marking the onset of the winter season in Himachal.