Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, June 30
Continuous heavy rainfall across Himachal Pradesh since late Sunday night has triggered landslides, disrupted traffic, and damaged property in several districts. In Shimla’s Bhattakufar suburb, a five-storey residential building collapsed early Monday morning due to ground instability caused by road-cutting for a highway expansion. Fortunately, the building had been vacated overnight, and no casualties were reported. Since the arrival of the monsoon in Himachal Pradesh, at least 17 people have lost their lives, and the state has incurred losses exceeding ₹300 crore.
The Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for heavy rainfall in four districts — Kangra, Mandi, Solan, and Sirmaur — and warned of potential flash floods and landslides in up to ten districts, including Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Shimla, Chamba, and Kullu. An orange alert has been issued for Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan, and Bilaspur for Monday, with a yellow alert in place for most districts from July 1 to July 4. In anticipation of worsening weather, schools in Mandi, Kangra, and Sirmaur districts have been closed for the day. Authorities have advised tourists and residents to avoid rivers, streams, and landslide-prone areas.
Landslides have also hit multiple areas in Shimla district, damaging roads and vehicles. At least 38 roads remain blocked across the state due to debris. In Sujanpur, Hamirpur, a large tree fell on three vehicles, causing significant damage. Meanwhile, in the Chamyana area of Shimla, a road leading to the hospital was blocked due to debris. In Bathwell (Sanjauli Ward), a landslide dumped rubble on a house, trapping a mother and daughter inside. In Bharari, a fallen tree damaged a car and blocked the road, while in Khalini and Mehli, landslides have endangered adjacent homes.
Further chaos was reported on the Kalka-Shimla National Highway-5, where falling debris near Chakki Mor leading to long traffic jams yesterday. Similarly, the Kalka-Shimla World Heritage Railway line was disrupted as debris covered the tracks near Koti. The first morning train was halted at Koti station, and others were stopped at Gumma and Kalka until clearance operations resumed.
