Two people have lost their lives and over a dozen remain missing after a series of cloudbursts triggered flash floods across multiple districts of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, officials confirmed.
In Kangra district, at least 10 people were reported missing, while two bodies were recovered near Dharamshala. Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa said the victims were employees at a small hydroelectric power project.
In the neighbouring Kullu district, the situation was equally grim. Three people were reported missing after four separate cloudbursts hit Banjar, Gadsa, Manikaran, and Sainj. Several houses were also swept away in the deluge. Kullu Deputy Commissioner Torul S Raveesh said the cloudbursts caused a dramatic rise in water levels in parts of Manali. Rescue teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are on the ground. Water-sports activities in Kullu have been temporarily suspended, the administration stated.
Ground reports paint a harrowing picture. In Manikaran valley's Brahmaganga region, intense rainfall led to a cloudburst that unleashed a torrent of water and debris, damaging homes and forcing residents to flee. A temporary bridge over the Parvati River at Baladhi village — rebuilt by locals after a disaster in 2024 — was washed away, reported The Indian Express.
In Sainj valley, the Jeeva Nala stream also overflowed, causing extensive destruction. Sheds belonging to the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) were washed away, further compounding the crisis.
Cars Swept Away In Himachal
The cloudburst caused extensive damage to property as well. Cars and other vehicles were caught on camera being swept away by the floodwaters.
Weather Alert In Himachal
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in Shimla has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rain across multiple districts, including Kullu, Kangra, Chamba, Mandi, Shimla, Bilaspur, Sirmaur, Hamirpur, Solan, and parts of Una. The alert remains in effect until Thursday evening.
For the period from June 27 to July 3, the IMD has forecast light to moderate rain over many parts of the state, with isolated heavy rainfall expected over low hills, plains, and mid-hills during several days of the week. "Rainfall anomaly is likely to be above normal over most parts of the low hills/plains; normal to above normal over many parts of the mid hills, and normal to below normal over most parts of the high hills of the state," the IMD said in its latest bulletin.
Market, Crematorium Flooded In Kangra and Bilaspur
In Kangra's Thural area, a two-hour downpour inundated the local market, leaving pedestrians stranded and shops flooded. Meanwhile, in the tribal region of Udaipur (Lahaul), the Chokhang-Nainghar road was blocked after a stream overflowed and damaged the route.
An HRTC bus was left stranded as part of the road gave way. The Public Works Department has begun emergency repairs, but vehicle movement remains suspended. Elsewhere, a suspension bridge near Jasrath village collapsed due to a swollen Chandrabhaga river, cutting off an irrigation project, reported The Indian Express.
Shimla, the state capital, has not been spared either. In the past 24 hours, several areas recorded significant rainfall: Palampur (145.4 mm), Jogindernagar (113 mm), Nahan (94 mm), Baijnath (85 mm), and Paonta Sahib (58.4 mm), among others.
A troubling incident occurred near Dekhchhu in Dharampur on the Jalandhar-Attari-Mandi National Highway, where dumped construction soil blocked a stream’s flow. The stream overflowed, submerging the Gasia Mata temple, an inn, and a cremation ground. Several villages nearby are now at risk of flooding.
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