At least four people died and 16 went missing when violent flash floods, triggered by cloudbursts, struck Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district in the early hours of Tuesday. Officials said cloudbursts hit at least four places in the Karsog area, sending families fleeing as rising water swallowed homes, vehicles, and bridges.
In the darkness, many ran for their lives as the water tore through villages without warning. An official confirmed that the 16-megawatt Patikari hydropower project was also damaged in the surge.
Midnight evacuation at Pandoh
The entire Pandoh bazaar had to be cleared at midnight. Dam gates opened to release rising water as the Beas river threatened to flood the market. By morning, the Kiratpur-Manali national highway was blocked due to fresh landslides near Pandoh.
In Mandi town’s Jail Road, around a dozen parked vehicles were buried under debris after a slope gave way. Dharampur subdivision faced its own disaster—houses in Sayathi village were crushed under a landslide.
Rescues and warnings
In Raghunath ka Padhar, a late-night rescue operation saved 12 people trapped by sudden floods. Near Kandi Kataula, a flash flood roared through the Bagi rivulet, adding to the chaos. Schools across Mandi and Kangra stayed shut on Tuesday as officials scrambled to manage blocked roads and power failures.
Since the monsoon began on 20 June, rain-related incidents have claimed 23 lives across Himachal. The State Emergency Operation Centre counted 259 roads closed—129 in Mandi alone—and hundreds of transformers knocked out.
Five-storey building collapses in Shimla
In Shimla, heavy rain brought down a five-storey building in Bhatta Kuffar within seconds on Monday morning. Luckily, no one was inside. “We vacated the building on Sunday night as the land was sliding after Saturday's rain. The building collapsed around 8.15 am on Monday morning," Ranjana Verma told PTI. She added, “A four-lane road construction had endangered the structure but no measures were taken to ensure its safety.”
Two neighbouring buildings now stand on shaky ground. IMD has placed Shimla, Sirmaur, Mandi, and Kangra under orange alert. More downpours are likely.
In Rampur’s Sikaseri village, a cloudburst washed away two cowsheds, three cows, two calves, a kitchen, and a room belonging to Rajinder Kumar, Vinod Kumar, and Gopal, sons of Palas Ram. Fortunately, no human lives were lost. Last July, Samej village under the same panchayat lost 21 people in a similar disaster.
On the Shimla-Chandigarh highway, shooting stones and landslides forced traffic onto a single lane, creating long jams. At Chakki Mor in Solan, the Subathu-Waknaghat road shut after a landslide. Solan Deputy Commissioner Manmohan Sharma visited the site and ordered the National Highway Authority of India to keep equipment ready round the clock.
In Bilaspur, floodwaters entered Kunhmunjhwad’s Government Senior Secondary School, sending over 130 students home. “When I reached the school, I saw that the rooms were filled with water up to my knees and there was only mud on the ground. There was no place for the children to sit, so they had to be sent home,” said vice principal Shyam Lal.
A government primary school in Shimla’s Junga area also took a beating from the rain. The Chandigarh-Manali highway near Kainchimod faces partial blockages too. Officials say relief teams are working to clear routes but heavy rain is forecast to continue until at least 6 July.
Caution urged as heavy rain continues
Himachal Pradesh recorded 135 mm of rain in June—34% above normal. The weather office warns that conditions remain dangerous in Kangra, Mandi, and Sirmaur. Residents have been told to avoid non-essential travel and follow local alerts.
Emergency crews stay on standby as the hills brace for more rain. For many villagers, the monsoon brings fear instead of relief.
In the darkness, many ran for their lives as the water tore through villages without warning. An official confirmed that the 16-megawatt Patikari hydropower project was also damaged in the surge.
Normal life affected due to the active phase of the southwest monsoon.
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) July 1, 2025
Incidents of cloudbursts, landslides, waterlogging and heavy rainfall have disrupted daily life across several districts of Himachal Pradesh.
Meteorological Centre in Shimla issues a heavy rainfall alert… pic.twitter.com/9oyOoyp4Lx
VIDEO | Himachal Pradesh: Cloudburst and flash floods triggered by heavy rains battered Mandi district, leaving one person dead and around 12 missing, officials said on Tuesday.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 1, 2025
Mandi received extensively high rainfall of 216.8 mm since Monday evening. pic.twitter.com/I7IkZ0v8XG
🚨HEAVY RAINS TRIGGER CLOUD BURSTS AND FLOODING IN HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA.
— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) July 1, 2025
Cloud bursts in Karsog area, Mandi, cause 1 death and 7 missing.
Vehicles swept away and 16 MW power project destroyed.
Beas River floods intensify
Schools and colleges closed; statewide alert active pic.twitter.com/ucXSbYhviD
Midnight evacuation at Pandoh
The entire Pandoh bazaar had to be cleared at midnight. Dam gates opened to release rising water as the Beas river threatened to flood the market. By morning, the Kiratpur-Manali national highway was blocked due to fresh landslides near Pandoh.
In Mandi town’s Jail Road, around a dozen parked vehicles were buried under debris after a slope gave way. Dharampur subdivision faced its own disaster—houses in Sayathi village were crushed under a landslide.
Rescues and warnings
In Raghunath ka Padhar, a late-night rescue operation saved 12 people trapped by sudden floods. Near Kandi Kataula, a flash flood roared through the Bagi rivulet, adding to the chaos. Schools across Mandi and Kangra stayed shut on Tuesday as officials scrambled to manage blocked roads and power failures.
Since the monsoon began on 20 June, rain-related incidents have claimed 23 lives across Himachal. The State Emergency Operation Centre counted 259 roads closed—129 in Mandi alone—and hundreds of transformers knocked out.
Five-storey building collapses in Shimla
In Shimla, heavy rain brought down a five-storey building in Bhatta Kuffar within seconds on Monday morning. Luckily, no one was inside. “We vacated the building on Sunday night as the land was sliding after Saturday's rain. The building collapsed around 8.15 am on Monday morning," Ranjana Verma told PTI. She added, “A four-lane road construction had endangered the structure but no measures were taken to ensure its safety.”
Two neighbouring buildings now stand on shaky ground. IMD has placed Shimla, Sirmaur, Mandi, and Kangra under orange alert. More downpours are likely.
In Rampur’s Sikaseri village, a cloudburst washed away two cowsheds, three cows, two calves, a kitchen, and a room belonging to Rajinder Kumar, Vinod Kumar, and Gopal, sons of Palas Ram. Fortunately, no human lives were lost. Last July, Samej village under the same panchayat lost 21 people in a similar disaster.
On the Shimla-Chandigarh highway, shooting stones and landslides forced traffic onto a single lane, creating long jams. At Chakki Mor in Solan, the Subathu-Waknaghat road shut after a landslide. Solan Deputy Commissioner Manmohan Sharma visited the site and ordered the National Highway Authority of India to keep equipment ready round the clock.
In Bilaspur, floodwaters entered Kunhmunjhwad’s Government Senior Secondary School, sending over 130 students home. “When I reached the school, I saw that the rooms were filled with water up to my knees and there was only mud on the ground. There was no place for the children to sit, so they had to be sent home,” said vice principal Shyam Lal.
A government primary school in Shimla’s Junga area also took a beating from the rain. The Chandigarh-Manali highway near Kainchimod faces partial blockages too. Officials say relief teams are working to clear routes but heavy rain is forecast to continue until at least 6 July.
Caution urged as heavy rain continues
Himachal Pradesh recorded 135 mm of rain in June—34% above normal. The weather office warns that conditions remain dangerous in Kangra, Mandi, and Sirmaur. Residents have been told to avoid non-essential travel and follow local alerts.
Emergency crews stay on standby as the hills brace for more rain. For many villagers, the monsoon brings fear instead of relief.
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