JCB Plunges into Gorge During Highway Work in Shimla; Shocking Incident Caught on Video

Shimla, August 2:
Relentless rainfall and frequent landslides continue to cause serious disruptions across Himachal Pradesh. A tragic accident occurred on Saturday afternoon near Bharara in the Kumarsain area of Shimla district, where a JCB machine working to clear a landslide on the Shimla–Rampur National Highway was struck by falling rocks and plunged nearly 100 meters into a gorge.

The incident happened around 1 PM when the road had already been blocked due to a rockfall. While the JCB was in the process of clearing debris, another massive boulder suddenly tumbled down the hillside, hitting the machine directly. The force of the impact pushed the JCB off the edge of the road.

The driver, 55-year-old Dinesh Kumar, a resident of Mandi, died on the spot. He was pulled out of the gorge and rushed to the hospital but could not be saved. The accident was witnessed by several bystanders, and it led to a significant traffic jam on both sides of the highway. Kumarsain Police have confirmed the fatality.

Monsoon Havoc: Rising Death Toll and Road Closures

So far during this monsoon season, 179 people have lost their lives in Himachal Pradesh, 289 have been injured, and 36 are still missing. Of the total deaths, 101 occurred due to rain-related incidents, while 78 were from road accidents.

The district-wise death toll includes:

• Mandi: 37

• Kangra: 29

• Kullu: 18

• Chamba: 17

• Shimla: 15

• Solan: 12

• Hamirpur, Kinnaur, Una: 11 each

• Bilaspur: 8

• Lahaul-Spiti: 6

• Sirmaur: 4

As of Saturday evening, one national highway (NH-505 in Lahaul-Spiti) and 401 other roads across the state remain closed due to landslides and flooding. Mandi has reported the highest number of road closures (174), followed by Chamba (111) and Kullu (67).

Heavy Rain Forecast: Yellow and Orange Alerts Issued

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of continued heavy rainfall until August 6, with multiple weather alerts in place:

• August 3: Yellow Alert for Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur

• August 4:

  • Orange Alert for Sirmaur, Kullu, Kangra, Una, and Bilaspur

  • Yellow Alert for Hamirpur, Chamba, Mandi, Shimla, and Solan

• August 5:

  • Orange Alert for Kangra, Mandi, Solan, and Sirmaur

  • Yellow Alert for Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Chamba, Kullu, and Shimla

• August 6: Yellow Alert for Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, and Solan

The state administration has urged people to remain cautious, avoid unnecessary travel, and stay informed about local weather and road conditions.