Himachal Monsoon Fury: 3 Dead In Mandi Landslide, Vehicles Buried In Shimla

Heavy overnight rain triggered floods and landslides in Himachal Pradesh, killing a family of three as debris from an adjoining cliff slid onto their house, causing it to collapse, in the Mandi district on Tuesday morning. Many vehicles, including buses, were swept away, and shops were damaged.

Visuals shared by Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri showed damage to the Jal Shakti Department and the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) office. "All the employees of the corporation are safe. The officials have reached the spot and are taking stock of the situation, and the damage is being assessed," she said in a post on Facebook.

The minister also posted a video of the destruction caused by floods and landslides in Mandi.

A landslide in Shimla buried dozens of vehicles under the debris, disrupting traffic movement and leading to the closure of National Highway 5 - connecting Firozpur in Punjab to the Sino-Indian border at Shipki La. No deaths have been reported so far.

"It was raining heavily, and around 1 am, we heard a deafening sound with trees and debris sliding down and immediately moved our vehicles," a man, who was sleeping in his vehicle parked near the landslide area, said.

Himachal Pradesh has witnessed heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides this season. Over 400 people have died in the state since June this year, with the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) confirming that 229 deaths occurred in rain-related incidents and 175 in road accidents.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a 'yellow' alert for heavy rain in six districts today in the state - Bilaspur, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur.