Monsoon fury: 9 killed in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and UP as heavy rains trigger landslides and floods

Heavy monsoon rains claimed at least seven lives in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka on Wednesday, while lightning strikes killed two people in Uttar Pradesh, as landslides, flooding and waterlogging disrupted normal life across several states.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of continued heavy rainfall in south Bengal over the coming days.

In Himachal Pradesh, four people died after intense showers hit several areas, including Shimla, Manali and Dharamshala. The rainfall triggered landslides, caused rivers to swell and disrupted electricity supply in parts of the state.

A woman from Solan district was killed after being struck by a falling boulder near Aut on the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway. The state emergency operations centre (SEOC) reported three additional deaths in Kangra district, including fatalities caused by electrocution and a fall from height.

The southwest monsoon, which reached Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, spread across the entire state by Wednesday.

In Karnataka’s Mangaluru, three members of a family, including two girls, died after a landslide brought down their house in the Nagori area early Wednesday. Three others were rescued after becoming trapped under debris following heavy overnight rain.

Meanwhile, flood-affected Arunachal Pradesh continued rescue and rehabilitation operations. Officials said four people have died, 21 were injured and two remain missing over the past week after flash floods and landslides damaged homes, roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan carried out an aerial and ground inspection of the affected areas on Wednesday.

In Maharashtra, heavy rainfall affected Thane, Palghar and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, causing disruptions in several areas.