Shimla, Sep 16 (UNI) Even as the monsoon begins to recede, incessant overnight rainfall once again unleashed devastation across Himachal Pradesh, leaving a trail of destruction in Mandi and Shimla districts.
Flash floods, swollen drains, and landslides battered towns and villages, washing away vehicles, flooding homes, and burying families under debris.
In Mandi district, the Son Khad (drain) overflowed following torrential rain between 2 am and 3 am, submerging the bus stand at Dharampur and inundating nearby homes and shops.
Floodwaters swept away more than ten government buses and several private vehicles. Eyewitnesses reported that the water rose so high that the first floors of several houses were submerged.
Though official confirmation is awaited, locals fear several people were swept away by the gushing waters. BJP leader Rajat Thakur stated that at least six people are missing from the locality. By this morning, floodwaters had receded, leaving behind slush and muck that devastated the market area.
In another tragedy, a house collapsed due to a landslide in Bragta village of Mandi, burying five members of a single family. Rescue teams and villagers managed to pull out two survivors alive, while one body was recovered from the debris. Search operations are underway to locate the two others who remain missing.
Heavy rain also triggered multiple landslides in the state capital, Shimla. At Himland, BCS School, and Panjari, more than 15 vehicles parked along the road were buried under debris. The Circular Road, often described as the lifeline of Shimla, was blocked after a massive landslide near Talland, causing traffic disruptions across the hill town.
The Meteorological Centre, Shimla, has issued a yellow alert for rain in six districts—Bilaspur, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur. Although rainfall is expected to decline over the next three days, this season has already proven disastrous.
From June 1 to September 15, Himachal Pradesh recorded 991.1 mm of rain, which is 44 per cent higher than the normal 689.6 mm. Kullu district has been the worst affected, with 107 per cent excess rainfall, while Shimla recorded 105 per cent more than normal.
District-wise, the rainfall surplus has been alarming: Mandi (77 per per cent), Bilaspur (72 per cent), Solan (71 per cent), Hamirpur (58 per cent), Una (65 per cent), Sirmaur (40 per cent), Chamba (32 per cent), Kangra (18 per cent), and Kinnaur (30 per cent).
The relentless monsoon has already claimed 409 lives across the state this season. Of these, 76 deaths were caused by floods, landslides, and cloudbursts. Official records show 140 incidents of landslides, 97 floods, and 46 cloudbursts since June.
From submerged markets in Dharampur to buried cars in Shimla, the images of destruction highlight how vulnerable Himachal Pradesh remains to extreme weather events.
The receding monsoon, far from bringing relief, has once again hammered the hill state—displacing families, crippling infrastructure, and adding to an already grim death toll.
