78 dead in Himachal, landslide alert in Uttarakhand as heavy rain continues

India Today

4 hours ago

Torrential rain has battered the hill states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand over the past two days, leading to widespread damage, disruption and loss of life. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued orange and yellow alerts for several districts in both states, warning of continued heavy rainfall and the risk of landslides and flash floods.Overflowing rivers, broken roads and collapsed bridges have left hundreds of locals and tourists stranded, as the monsoon intensifies across the Himalayan region. Both states have activated emergency response teams and rescue operations are ongoing. Authorities have urged residents and visitors to stay away from landslide-prone zones.advertisementIn Himachal Pradesh, at least 14 cloudburst incidents and 3 flash floods have been reported in recent days. Mandi district remains the worst affected, where 14 people have died, 5 have been injured and 30 others are still missing. With these latest fatalities, the state's monsoon death toll has risen to 78 since the start of the season.
Meanwhile, in Uttarakhand, natural disasters since June 1, 2025, have claimed 21 lives, left 11 injured and 9 people (from Uttarkashi) are still missing. The most severely affected districts are Uttarkashi (8 deaths), Chamoli (4), Rudraprayag (3) and Dehradun (3).UTTARAKHAND BATTLES MONSOON FURYThe weather department has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of Uttarakhand, including Tehri, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Dehradun. A yellow alert for moderate to heavy rain is in place for other districts like Haridwar, Nainital and Pithoragarh.Additionally, the State Emergency Operations Centre in Uttarakhand has issued a high-alert landslide warning for four districts, namely Tehri, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag and Chamoli. The warning comes after a forecast by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD).Due to rain and landslides, 50 roads have also been blocked, including 2 national highways and 2 state highways. So far, 134 houses have been partially damaged, and 10 houses have been completely destroyed. The highest damage was reported in Bageshwar with 40 houses affected and Uttarkashi with 36 houses. Additionally, 14 houses were damaged in Dehradun and several in Rudraprayag.Additionally, a total of 169 deaths have been reported since the beginning of the Chardham Yatra 2025. The highest number of deaths occurred in Kedarnath (78), followed by Badrinath (44), Gangotri (24) and Yamunotri (22). Nearly all of these deaths were due to health-related issues.In Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, the Badrinath National Highway has been shut again due to debris from landslides. Other routes, such as the Siwai-Karnaprayag road, have been washed away. Schools in several areas are closed and officials have advised people and tourists to stay indoors. HIMACHAL BATTLES FLOOD, LANDSLIDESIn Himachal Pradesh, Una, Bilaspur, Solan and Sirmaur are also under a yellow alert, with rains already causing damage. In Kangra Valley heavy rainfall caused rivers to flood and trees to fall. Before any help arrived, local residents came together to clear blocked roads. One such effort was seen near Sammela, where people cleared a highway on their own to let ambulances and food trucks pass.advertisementMandi district in Himachal has been hit hard. Cloudbursts and flash floods destroyed over 50 bighas of farmland and swept away a new bridge in Chamba's Churah area, cutting off four villages. Currently, 243 roads are still closed in the state, 183 of them in Mandi alone. Power lines and water supply systems have also been damaged. According to a PTI report, the estimated loss so far is Rs 572 crore, but Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu warned that it could rise to Rs 700 crore.- EndsMust Watch
IN THIS STORY#Uttarakhand#Himachal Pradesh