Video: Moment Landslide Tore Through Dimphug Village In Himachal's Lahaul

A terrifying landslide struck Dimphug village in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul on August 26, sending massive rocks and dust hurtling towards homes below.

The event, captured on video, shows rescue teams and ambulances scrambling along the streets as villagers in Kokser Panchayat flee to safety.

The apocalyptic moment mirrored what we have often seen in the movies, with people gasping at the sight of mammoth rocks rolling through the mountains and smashing homes. In the foreground, it rained. As the camera panned towards the sky, it painted a dreadful picture of grey clouds all set to unleash nature's wrath.

The sound of thunder echoed through the mountains; ambulance sirens blared in the background. Moments later, there was another instance of rocks falling from the top and people scurrying for cover.

The over five-minute footage went largely unnoticed initially due to a local internet shutdown.

Himachal Pradesh is grappling with severe monsoon-related devastation, particularly in Kullu, Manali, and Lahaul-Spiti. Continuous heavy rainfall has triggered widespread landslides, flash floods, and river surges, causing significant infrastructure damage and loss of life.

As of Friday, Himachal Pradesh recorded 5.5 mm of rainfall, slightly below the state's average for the day. The swelling Beas River has washed away portions of the Chandigarh-Manali Highway, stranding over 2,500 vehicles and disrupting essential connectivity. In Kullu, floodwaters damaged a 100-metre stretch of the highway near Raison, with restoration efforts underway.

The state has reported the closure of 524 roads, including two national highways, due to landslides and floods. About 1,230 electricity transformers and 416 water supply schemes have been disrupted, affecting thousands of residents. In Chamba, flooding of the Ravi River destroyed seven houses, leaving around 3,000 pilgrims stranded due to blocked roads.

The Lahaul-Spiti region has been particularly hard-hit, with cloudbursts and flash floods inundating villages such as Khurik in Kaza, damaging homes and agricultural land. In Kullu, the Manali-Leh Highway has suffered extensive damage from multiple landslides and river erosion.

The monsoon season has killed 312 people across Himachal Pradesh, with 160 fatalities directly attributed to rain-induced disasters such as landslides and flash floods. Rescue operations are ongoing, with over 3,000 pilgrims evacuated from the Manimahesh Yatra in Chamba. Helicopter evacuations are being conducted where road access remains blocked.

In a recent legislative session, the Himachal Pradesh assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the central government to declare the ongoing monsoon devastation a national calamity. The state has estimated damages at Rs 2,753 crore, primarily affecting infrastructure, agriculture, and tourism.

The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for isolated heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh from August 29 to September 2 due to a cyclonic circulation over north Pakistan and adjoining Punjab.