Monsoon Fury leaves 69 dead, 37 missing in Himachal

SHIMLA, July 4 : Torrential rains and landslides across Himachal Pradesh have claimed 69 lives so far, with 37 people still missing, while the number of injured has risen to 110, according to official data from the State Emergency Operation Centre.
The disaster has left a trail of destruction across several districts, triggering flash floods, slope failures, and infrastructure collapse.
The worst-affected district, Mandi, reported 20 deaths, while Kangra recorded 13, followed by Chamba (7), Shimla (5), and Una (5).
Kullu, Kinnaur, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Solan, Sirmaur, and Lahaul-Spiti have also reported casualties. Most deaths were caused by landslides, cloudbursts, and electrocution.
In addition, 26 people have lost their lives in road accidents since the beginning of the monsoon.
Flash floods and collapsing hillsides have affected 276 homes, caused the death of 250 animals, and severely impacted agricultural and public infrastructure, with estimated losses mounting to Rs 495.82 crore.
The state continues to grapple with blocked roads, with dozens of link roads, National Highways, and interior routes shut due to landslides. Field reports confirm that critical DTRs (distribution transformers) have also been damaged in several locations, affecting the restoration of power and communication lines.
In the state capital, Shimla, normalcy remains elusive. The town’s main water supply resumed on July 4 after a five-day disruption.
According to the Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Limited (SJPNL), increased silt levels in major water schemes-caused by flash floods and muck deposition-had brought pumping to a halt. Advocate S.K. Sharma, a resident of New Shimla, confirmed that residents were without piped water for nearly a week.
Although the temporary water supply has now resumed across the Sanjauli, Chotta Shimla, and New Shimla subdivisions, officials warn that the supply may remain erratic due to unstable intake sources and muddy inflows. SJPNL appealed to citizens to use water judiciously, noting that teams are working round the clock to restore all affected schemes.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for July 5 and 7 and a red alert for July 6, warning of extremely heavy rain in Mandi, Kangra, and Sirmaur. Citizens are advised to avoid floodplains and unstable slopes and refrain from non-essential travel.
“Heavy to very heavy rainfall activity is very likely over Himachal Pradesh from July 5 to 9, with peak activity from the 6th at noon till 7th July at noon. Isolated extremely heavy rainfall is also likely on 06th July, 2025,” IMD issued a red alert.
(UNI)

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