Shimla, Aug 9 (UNI) Moderate to heavy rains battered several parts of Himachal Pradesh in the last 24 hours, triggering massive landslides, road blockages, and a cloudburst in Kullu district.
A major landslide struck the Chandigarh-Manali four-lane near Jhindi in Mandi district on Friday afternoon, sending huge boulders crashing onto the highway and forcing its closure to traffic.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has deployed machinery to clear debris, but repeated landslides have slowed restoration work.
In Mandi’s Hanogi tunnel, waterlogging was so severe that vehicles were seen floating. Debris has also blocked several stretches of the road, creating long queues of stranded vehicles.
In another incident, a whole mountainside collapsed on the Dharmpur-Banwarkalan-Madhi road during restoration efforts. JCB operators narrowly escaped after noticing the slope giving way, abandoning their machines just in time.
The Meteorological Centre Shimla has forecast more wet weather over the next five days, with heavy rainfall warnings in place for multiple districts.
The Met Office has issued a rain alert for Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur, and Solan districts until 10 pm on Saturday, warning of possible landslides, flash floods, and waterlogging.
Heavy rain warnings are in effect for Una, Kangra, Mandi, and Solan on August 10, with an orange alert for Una, Bilaspur, Kangra, Kullu, and Mandi on August 11 due to an active western disturbance.
A cloudburst was reported in Sharod Nallah, Sub-Tehsil Jari, Kullu district at 5:35 p.m. on August 8. The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Kullu confirmed no loss of life and said the situation is under control.
Authorities have urged residents and travelers to remain vigilant, avoid unnecessary travel in vulnerable areas, and follow safety advisories. With heavy rains expected to intensify, the risk of road blockages and flooding remains high across the state.
