Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, July 1
At least one person has died and 18 others are feared missing after relentless rainfall and two cloudbursts wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district over the past 48 hours. Heavy rain triggered flash floods in multiple locations, submerging villages, sweeping away homes and damaging critical infrastructure. Two villages in the Dharampur area were completely washed away, officials said. In the Karsog division, two cloudbursts have reportedly destroyed nine homes, though the administration has yet to confirm the full extent of damage.
Among the worst-hit areas is the Patikari region, where a 25-megawatt hydroelectric project has been washed away. In Kuklah, around ten houses and a bridge were swept away by floodwaters. Rising water levels in the Jayuni and Suketi streams have inundated dozens of homes along the banks, filling them with mud and water.
In the Gohar sub-division, a house built near the Syanj stream was swept away in a flash flood. While a mother and daughter were rescued, seven other family members are missing and presumed dead. Rescue teams and disaster response units are working in the region, though accessibility remains a major challenge due to washed-out roads and unstable terrain. The state government has placed emergency services on high alert as more rain is forecast in the coming days. Officials say the situation remains fluid, and damage assessments are ongoing.
