Two people lost their lives and widespread devastation occurred as flash floods ravaged the districts of Solan and Hamirpur, triggered by a cloudburst. Additionally, heavy rainfall in Shimla, Mandi, and Kullu exacerbated the situation, causing significant damage to crops, residences, vehicles, and sweeping away livestock.
The State Emergency Operation Centre reported the unfortunate incidents, noting one drowning in both Hamirpur and Shimla districts. The torrential rain resulted in the destruction of 11 houses, 11 vehicles, and four cowsheds.
Over a dozen vehicles were washed away in flash floods and more than 100 roads were blocked, including Chandigarh-Manali highway, as monsoon rains lashed the state.
According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), as many as 124 roads were blocked.
In the Mandi district, a total of 72 roads were blocked, making it the district with the highest number of road closures. Sirmaur district followed with 23 blocked roads and Solan district with 21. Sirmaur district also experienced the highest number of power outages, with 69 Distribution Transformer Rectifiers (DTRs) affected. Chamba district had 37 affected DTRs, and Mandi district had 25, all due to heavy rains and flash floods.
In Kullu, heavy rains caused a nullah in Mohal village near Kullu town to overflow, resulting in the washing away of 10 vehicles, including three tractors and an SUV. The vehicles had been parked along the side of the nullah by the residents. Unfortunately, no assistance was provided by the administration, so the residents had to use JCB machines to retrieve their vehicles the following morning.
The Chandigarh-Manali highway faced multiple blockages due to flooding. The under-construction highway stretch near Pandoh was completely flooded, and another blockage occurred near Aut when an overflowing nallah entered the road. Additionally, the Bajaura-Kautala road was also blocked due to a landslide.
Reports also indicated that vehicles were washed away in a nullah in Tungadhar, located in the Seraj area of the district. In Kurati village near Jogindernagar, heavy rains caused a 30-meter road stretch to be washed away, isolating the area from the rest of the Mandi district. The inclement weather resulted in the damage of eight structures, including four houses, according to the Mandi administration.
To prevent further escalation, authorities opened the flood gates of the Pandoh dam as the water level in the Beas river exceeded the danger mark. In Chamba, a landslide occurred near Chowari, blocking a link road. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but the landslide caused a traffic jam. Officials were dispatched to clear the road promptly.
The weather department reported rainfall data for various areas: Dalhousie received the highest amount of rainfall at 19 mm, followed by Chamba with 18.5 mm, Hamirpur with 13 mm, and Kangra with 7 mm by 5.30 pm on Sunday.
The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) received information about a cloudburst incident near Arki village in Solan district. Although a few vehicles were damaged, no casualties were reported. Another cloudburst occurred near Kheri in the Sujanpur sub-division of Hamirpur district. The flash flood resulting from the cloudburst caused damage to several houses, but fortunately, no casualties were reported. A team from the district administration was sent to assess the losses in the area.
In a tragic incident, a trekker named Jitender, 54, from Bihar, lost his life when a sliding boulder struck him near the remote Dodra Kwar area of Shimla district. Jitender was part of a trekking group heading from Dodra Kwar to Sangla in Kinnaur. The boulder hit him due to heavy rains, resulting in instant fatality. The other four members of the trekking group remained unharmed.
