Shimla, Sept 16: Continuous and heavy overnight rains lashed several districts of Himachal Pradesh, triggering flash floods, multiple landslides, and widespread destruction. The extreme weather left at least three members of a family dead in Mandi district and caused extensive damage to public property, including roads, vehicles, and state transport infrastructure.
Officials said the worst incident occurred in the Sundernagar subdivision of Mandi district, where a house collapsed under the impact of a landslide in Boi panchayat. Three members of a family trapped inside the building were killed on the spot. Deputy Commissioner of Mandi, Apoorv Devgan, confirmed that rescue teams managed to retrieve the bodies, while two other residents were pulled out alive. Rescue operations in the area continued despite difficult conditions caused by incessant rainfall and muddy terrain.
Apart from the loss of lives, the rains triggered flooding in the Son and Bharand drains of Dharampur in Mandi district. The floodwaters rushed into the Dharampur bus stand, submerging large parts of the facility. Over twenty Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses were damaged, along with a workshop, pump houses, and several shops located in the vicinity. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, in a Facebook post, said that “the Dharampur bus stand, more than two dozen buses, shops, the pump house, and the workshop have been badly damaged,” highlighting the scale of destruction.
The hill state’s capital, Shimla, also bore the brunt of nature’s fury. A massive landslide struck near Himland in the heart of the city during the early hours of the morning, burying several parked vehicles under tonnes of debris and mud. The landslide also blocked the main circular road—one of Shimla’s key arterial routes—leading to major inconvenience for residents, particularly school-going children who were left stranded or forced to take longer alternative routes.
Eyewitnesses recounted their terrifying experience of the landslide. Gautam and Rahul Shukla, who were sleeping inside their vehicle parked close to Himland when the incident occurred, said that they heard a deafening sound around 1 a.m. “The noise was so loud that it felt like an explosion. Within seconds, trees and debris came sliding down towards us. We immediately started our vehicle and managed to escape, just before the mud and boulders reached the spot,” they said. Their quick action prevented a tragedy, but several other vehicles were not so fortunate and remained buried under the landslide debris.
The continuous downpour across Himachal Pradesh has once again exposed the fragile state of the region’s ecology and infrastructure. With key highways and local roads blocked at multiple points due to landslides, connectivity across districts has been severely disrupted. The authorities have deployed teams to clear roads and restore normalcy, but officials admitted that continuous rainfall and fresh landslides are hampering the pace of restoration work.
As the monsoon continues to wreak havoc in the state, district administrations have advised residents to remain vigilant, avoid unnecessary travel, and stay away from vulnerable slopes and water bodies. Emergency response teams remain on alert, while the weather department has warned of more rain in the coming days. (Agencies)
