Himachal Pradesh Monsoon Death Toll Rises to 366, Losses Cross ₹4,000 Crore: Officials
A total of 6,025 homes and 455 shops/factories have been fully or partially damaged.
Officials reported on Sunday that heavy monsoon rains between June 20 and September 7 have caused devastating cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides across Himachal Pradesh, resulting in losses amounting to ₹4,079 crore.
So far, 366 people have lost their lives due to rain-related incidents and road accidents. According to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), out of these 366 deaths, 203 occurred due to rain-related events—including 42 in landslides, 17 in cloudbursts, and 9 in flash floods. Additionally, 41 people remain missing, while 163 have died in accidents.
A total of 6,025 homes and 455 shops and factories have been damaged either fully or partially. The frequency of landslides is increasing day by day, with the state witnessing 135 major landslides, 95 flash floods, and 45 cloudbursts since the onset of the monsoon on June 20.
Traffic disruptions have been reported on 869 roads, including three national highways—NH-3 (Mandi-Dharampur route), NH-5 (the old Hindustan-Tibet road), and NH-305 (Aut-Sainj route). Furthermore, 1,572 electricity transformers and 389 water supply schemes have been affected.
Kullu has the highest number of blocked roads at 227, followed by Mandi with 191, Shimla with 154, and Chamba with 116 road closures.
The Shimla-Thiog road, passing through the heart of the apple-growing belt of Shimla district, has been closed near Chaila since Saturday due to recurring landslides, stranding numerous vehicles, including apple-laden trucks and tempos.
“We have been stuck here since Saturday evening. The weather is bad, and we are trying to transport apples to the markets, but road closures have worsened the situation for orchardists,” said Bhoor Sen from Rohru.
Meanwhile, the search and rescue operation in Bharmour-Manimahesh in Chamba district was suspended on Saturday. Chamba’s Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repswal appealed to the public to report missing family members at the district helpline number 98166-98166.
Since the start of the Manimahesh pilgrimage on August 15, a total of 17 pilgrims have lost their lives, officials confirmed.
Light to moderate rainfall was recorded across parts of the state on Saturday evening, with 24.2 mm in Manali, 16.8 mm in Naina Devi, 16.5 mm in Dhaulakuan, 13.1 mm in Nahan, 12 mm in Rampur Bushahr, 11.6 mm in Kufri, 10.4 mm in Kothi, and 10 mm in Bharmour. Thunderstorms accompanied rain in Shimla, Jubbarhatti, Kangra, Kufri, and Jot.
The local meteorological department has issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms and lightning across various regions of the state for Sunday and Monday.
From June 1 to September 6, Himachal Pradesh recorded an average rainfall of 943.2 mm, which is 46% above the normal 648.1 mm for this period.
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