Landslide Destroys House in Palampur, One Dead, Two Injured

Heavy Rainfall Disrupts Life Across Region

Continuous heavy rainfall over the past 72 hours has brought normal life in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district to a standstill.

In a remote village of Bhawarna block, a house collapsed today following intense rainfall, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to two others. The incident occurred in Bari Samana village, located about 20 kilometers from Palampur. The house owner, Sheru Ram, lost his life, while two family members were rescued by villagers and shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment.

In another incident, a landslide struck a house in Ward No. 12 of Palampur Municipal area. Fortunately, the residents managed to leave the house just minutes before the landslide, but the structure was completely destroyed.

The relentless rain has severely impacted life in Palampur, Baijnath, and Jaisinghpur areas of Kangra district. This morning, a massive landslide near Paror blocked traffic on the Pathankot–Mandi National Highway for several hours. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) later deployed heavy machinery to clear debris and restore vehicle movement.

Landslides, flash floods, and uprooted trees have blocked numerous highways and rural roads, isolating several villages from the rest of the state. Palampur is witnessing its heaviest rainfall in 76 years, with all rivers flowing above danger levels. Authorities have urged residents to avoid the banks of the Nugal, Binwa, and Awa rivers as more heavy rain is expected in the upper reaches of the Dhauladhar range. The administration has placed the entire government machinery in Baijnath and Palampur on high alert.

The Palampur–Kangra–Una highway is blocked near Old Kangra and Ranital due to landslides, while the Palampur–Mandi–Manali road is closed near Jogindernagar, and the Palampur–Jaisinghpur route is shut near Lambagaon. In lower Palampur, many homes have developed cracks due to soil subsidence.

In the higher reaches, landslides near Rajgundha and Billing have closed the Bir-Barot road again. Tourist access has been suspended, cutting off connectivity to the Chhota Bhangal region. Local rivers and streams are flowing above warning levels, and roads leading to Kothi Kohar, Kothi Swar, and Bada Gram have been closed for vehicles. The Uhl and Lam Daag rivers are also running above danger levels, and several buildings in Barot have suffered damage from the torrential rain.

Numerous mud houses have been damaged, and drinking water schemes have been badly affected, resulting in widespread power outages. Strong winds and landslides have uprooted trees and damaged power lines, disrupting electricity supply. HPSBEL engineers and field staff are working round the clock, risking their lives to restore power lines.

Reports from the upper Dhauladhar region confirm that over 30 villages in the Chhota Bhangal and Chuhar valleys have been without electricity for the past four days. Despite repeated efforts, the restoration work has been hampered by persistent rainfall. The district administration has activated 24×7 control rooms at the SDM offices in Palampur, Baijnath, Jaisinghpur, and Dhira. Officials from NHAI, the Public Works Department (PWD), fire services, and police have been placed on high alert.