Monsoon chaos in Himachal: Building collapses in Shimla; 3 dead, 129 roads blocked even as red alert issued
Himachal rain update: Himachal Pradesh is reeling under a heavy spell of monsoon rain as downpours intensify across the state. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) declared a red alert for several districts on Sunday, including Shimla, as the monsoon became active across the country. In the wake of incessant rain, a five-storey building collapsed in Shimla’s Bhattakufar early Monday morning. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, as the structure had been evacuated the night before.
According to information, the building had developed structural cracks, reportedly due to ongoing construction of a nearby four-lane road. The authorities took swift action to vacate the building after the IMD issued its red alert. A video shared on social media shows the structure standing momentarily before collapsing in a terrifying manner as the cracks widened. Rain can be seen pouring continuously in the footage.
शिमला भट्टाकुफर माठू कॉलोनी में बहुमंजिला इमारत गिरी। pic.twitter.com/nmWQFvlgPw — Chandan Singh Rajput (@imchandansinghs) June 30, 2025
While this incident had no casualties, other rain-related accidents across the state proved fatal. In the last 24 hours alone, three persons lost their lives—one each due to drowning in Una and Bilaspur, and another who died after falling from a height in Shimla district. The overall monsoon death toll in the state has now risen to 20 since the season began on June 20, with four persons still reported missing, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).
Infrastructure has taken a significant hit as the downpour continues. A total of 129 roads have been closed due to landslides and flooding, with Sirmaur (57 roads) and Mandi (44 roads) facing the worst disruptions. Power supply has also been severely affected, with over 612 transformers reported to be non-functional.
The industrial district of Solan is among the hardest hit. A bridge near the Himuda Complex in Barotiwala industrial area was washed away by strong currents. Access roads to Mandhala and Bagguwala have been blocked. In Baddi, the Bald River swelled dangerously near Jhadmajri, submerging over 20 houses in Shivalik Nagar, where water levels reached up to four feet. Local residents attributed the annual flooding to poor drainage systems and claimed that repeated complaints to the authorities have gone unanswered.
In view of the worsening situation, the IMD has issued a moderate to high flash flood risk warning for 10 districts: Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, Una, and Chamba. Rising water levels in the Beas river and Juni Khad have prompted officials to caution residents against going near riverbanks.
The situation became more critical after all five spillway gates of the Pandoh Dam were opened due to water release at the Larji Dam. As a result, the Beas River swelled to a dangerous 44,000 cusecs. This surge led to a temporary halt in operations at the Dehar Power House.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed the district administrations in Kangra, Mandi, Solan, and Sirmaur to shut all schools on Monday, June 30. In Mandi, DC Apoorva Devgan announced closure of all schools, colleges, and anganwadi centres, excluding IIT Mandi and medical institutions. Similarly, Kangra DC Hemraj Bairwa declared a holiday for all non-residential educational institutions.
Meanwhile, train services on the iconic Shimla-Kalka heritage rail route have been suspended. Boulders and uprooted trees fell on the tracks near Solan’s Koti area, halting several trains. One train was stranded at Koti station, while others were stopped at Gumman and Kalka.
- With inputs from agencies
