No Relief from Rain in Mandi, Himachal After Monsoon’s Return; Sudden Floods Kill 3, 4 Missing, Buses Swept Away

Following the return of the monsoon, heavy rains in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, early Tuesday morning caused widespread devastation. Landslides and sudden flash floods resulted in the deaths of three people, left four missing, and saw two victims rescued alive but critically injured.

The disaster caused significant damage to both public and private property.

In Bragta village under Boe Panchayat of Nihri tehsil in Sundernagar subdivision, a massive landslide struck a residential house, burying five family members under debris. Local villagers immediately launched a rescue operation and managed to pull two people alive from the rubble. Both victims were severely injured and have been shifted to the nearest hospital for treatment.

A joint search team comprising local residents, police, and disaster response personnel is continuing the search for the remaining three trapped individuals. Efforts are being hampered by ongoing rainfall and unstable terrain.

In another alarming incident, late Monday night, flash floods hit the Dharmapur market area, submerging the main bus stand and nearby commercial establishments. The floodwaters caused extensive damage to infrastructure and private property, with several Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses swept away and many vehicles parked nearby severely damaged.

One person has been reported missing due to the flood, and search operations are ongoing.

Local shopkeepers and residents have suffered heavy losses as floodwaters entered shops, damaging goods and infrastructure. Preliminary estimates suggest damages running into crores of rupees.

Joginder Patial, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dharmapur, confirmed the severity of the disaster. “One person is missing, and the bus stand area has suffered extensive damage. Several HRTC buses have either been washed away or badly damaged, and shops have been heavily affected. A full assessment of the losses is currently underway,” he said.

Rajat Thakur, a BJP leader from Dharmapur, visited the affected areas and expressed deep concern. “On the day of the tourism festival, nature has inflicted deep wounds on the people of Dharmapur. The estimated damage is in crores, and the affected families need immediate support,” he remarked.

District administration teams, along with local volunteers and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), are actively involved in rescue and relief operations.

Uttarakhand

On Tuesday, the outskirts of Dehradun also witnessed severe devastation as a massive cloudburst triggered sudden floods and landslides in the Sahastradhara area.

The intense rainfall led to extensive damage, sweeping away homes, roads, vehicles, and shops.

Following the incident, two people have been reported missing.

Rescue and search operations are currently underway, with teams from both the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deployed across the affected areas.