Himachal rain fury: 6 bodies recovered after twin Kullu landslides, 2 still missing; over 1,000 roads blocked as rain continues
1,004 roads, including three NHs, remain blocked; Kullu (227 roads, including NH-3 and NH-305) worst hit; Mandi, Kangra, Una, Hamirpur, and Bilaspur districts remain under orange alert
PTC Web Desk: Heavy rains continue to wreak havoc across Himachal Pradesh, with the state Meteorological Department issuing an orange weather warning for Mandi, Kangra, Una, Hamirpur, and Bilaspur districts, while Shimla, Kullu, and Solan have been placed under a yellow alert. The persistent downpour has triggered widespread damage, road blockages, power disruptions, and deadly landslides in Kullu district.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, as many as 1,004 roads, including three National Highways (NH), remain blocked due to incessant rainfall. The highest impact has been reported in Kullu (227 roads, including NH-3 and NH-305), Shimla (212), Mandi (205), and Chamba (166). Other districts such as Sirmaur (48), Kangra (41), Una (32), Solan (27), Bilaspur (21), Lahaul-Spiti (15, including NH-505), Kinnaur (7), and Hamirpur (3) have also been affected.
Electricity supply has been severely hit, with 1,992 distribution transformers disrupted across the state. The maximum outages were reported from Kullu (867), Shimla (454), and Mandi (308), leaving several towns and villages in darkness.
Amid the relentless rainfall, two back-to-back landslides struck the Inner Akhara Bazaar area of Kullu this week, resulting in the deaths of six persons while two remain missing. The first landslide occurred on Wednesday morning, burying two persons under debris. Rescue teams recovered the body of a local resident on Friday, while a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel remains missing.
On Thursday morning, another landslide hit the same locality, trapping nine persons. Three injured victims were rescued, while five bodies have been recovered so far. One person is still untraceable.
Confirming the developments, Kullu Superintendent of Police (SP) Karthikeyan Gokulachandran said, “So far, six bodies have been recovered from the two landslide sites. Two persons remain missing — one from each site. Search and rescue operations are ongoing with the support of the NDRF, police, and local administration.”
The victims include both local residents and people from other regions. Authorities confirmed that bodies of deceased from Kashmir were transported to their hometowns with the help of the district administration.
Rescue teams, battling unstable terrain and continuous rainfall, are working tirelessly to locate the two missing persons. The district administration has urged residents to stay away from high-risk zones and cooperate with evacuation and safety protocols.
Officials have assured that all necessary assistance will be provided to the affected families.