Rain Fury in Himachal: Six Killed in Sundernagar Landslide, One Missing

Mandi, September 3 – Heavy rains continue to wreak havoc in Himachal Pradesh, with a devastating landslide claiming six lives in Sundernagar subdivision of Mandi district on Tuesday evening. Officials confirmed that the victims include four members of the same family, while one person remains missing.

The tragedy struck the Jangambagh area when a massive landslide buried two residential houses and swept away a passerby. Panic gripped the locality as residents heard loud rumbling noises moments before the hillside gave way, crashing down onto the homes below.

Mandi Superintendent of Police Sakshi Verma said, “A large-scale rescue operation was launched immediately after the incident. Despite difficult conditions, all six bodies were recovered from the debris by late Tuesday night.”

The deceased were identified as Gurpreet Singh (35), his wife Bharti (30), their daughter Kirat (3), grandmother Shanti Devi (70), and relative Surinder Kaur (56). The sixth victim was an unidentified man who happened to be passing by on a scooter at the time of the landslide.

Rescue teams are still searching for Rahul, another resident feared trapped along with his vehicle.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), and local police rushed to the site and began coordinated rescue efforts.

Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan and Additional District Magistrate Dr. Madan Kumar personally supervised the overnight operation, which continued despite challenging weather conditions. Authorities have evacuated nearby houses as a precaution amid fears of further instability in the area.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut, and Sundernagar MLA Rakesh Jamwal expressed grief and extended condolences to the bereaved families.

Meanwhile, the local weather office issued an orange alert for heavy rainfall in parts of Mandi, Kangra, Sirmaur, and Kinnaur districts, along with a yellow alert for Una and Bilaspur, warning residents to remain vigilant as the monsoon continues to lash the state.