Two dead, over 1,300 roads blocked as torrential rain lashes Himachal Pradesh

Shimla: Two women have died and thousands remain affected as relentless rainfall triggered landslides and flash floods across Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, blocking 1,337 roads, including four national highways, officials confirmed.

In response to the worsening situation, the local Meteorological Office has issued an orange alert for isolated heavy rainfall in Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur, and Kinnaur districts on Wednesday, along with a yellow warning for Una and Bilaspur.

Fatalities reported in Solan and Kullu

In Samloh village in Solan district, a woman identified as Hemlata died after being buried under the debris of her house, which collapsed amid heavy rain late on Monday. Her husband, Heem Ram, four children, and her 85-year-old disabled mother-in-law managed to escape with minor injuries.

A separate incident occurred in Dhalpur, Kullu, where a man and a woman were pulled from the rubble after their home caved in. The woman later succumbed to her injuries. Her identity is yet to be officially confirmed.

In Mandi district, a landslide struck near the BBMB colony in Sundernagar on Tuesday evening. A woman and a child were rescued and taken to hospital but are feared dead. Officials stated that two others are believed to be trapped under the debris. Rescue operations are being led by the National and State Disaster Response Forces, along with the police. Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan was present at the site during ongoing efforts.

Shimla schools ordered shut

In Shimla, all government and private educational institutions -- including coaching centres and nursing schools -- have been ordered to remain closed on Wednesday due to the risk of further landslides.

Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap, in an official order issued Tuesday evening, stated that the district has been witnessing continuous rainfall, and multiple locations have been flagged as high-risk zones by the Geological Survey of India.

Teachers and administrative staff have been exempted from attending in person, and online classes will be held instead.

Manali cut off, Highways blocked

Flooding in the Manalsu drain has isolated nine villages in Manali, disrupting access to the Manali-Leh highway. Landslides have also damaged two homes in Mandi town, behind the Paddal Gurudwara area, though no injuries were reported as residents evacuated in time.

In Anni, Kullu, an under-construction house was destroyed in a landslide, though no casualties occurred as the building had already been declared unsafe following the 2023 monsoon disaster.

In Bilaspur’s Naina Devi area, 16 families in Dadwal village have been asked to vacate their homes after large cracks developed in the area.

The document verification process for shortlisted Himachal Pradesh Police constable candidates, scheduled from 4–9 September, has now been postponed to 24–29 September due to road blockages, according to a government statement.

Massive infrastructure disruptions

Of the 1,337 roads currently blocked, the breakdown is as follows:

282 in Mandi

255 in Shimla

239 in Chamba

205 in Kullu

140 in Sirmaur

Major national highways affected include:

NH-3 (Mandi–Dharampur Road)

NH-305 (Aut–Sainj)

NH-5 (Old Hindustan–Tibet Road)

NH-707 (Hatkoti–Poanta)

The Shimla-Kalka National Highway (NH-5) and the Chandigarh-Manali Highway were also hit by landslides, causing long delays and inconvenience for commuters.

The situation is reported to be even more severe in remote areas, where link roads remain impassable, severely affecting apple growers who are unable to transport their harvests to market.