Himachal Rains: Search Underway for 30 Missing After Cloudbursts, Landslides in Mandi

Intensive search and rescue operations are underway in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district to locate 30 people missing after a series of cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides devastated the Thunag, Gohar, and Karsog subdivisions last week, officials said on Monday.

Over 250 personnel from the National and State Disaster Response Forces, Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and Home Guards, along with local administration and volunteers, are engaged in the search efforts. Drones and sniffer dogs are being deployed to scan inaccessible and debris-laden areas.

Twenty teams are also carrying out relief operations, including the distribution of ration and medical kits in cut-off villages. So far, 1,538 ration kits have been distributed, with ₹12.44 lakh in immediate relief disbursed. An additional ₹5 lakh each has been sanctioned for the Thunag and Janjheli areas, officials said.

Massive Damage to Infrastructure and Livelihoods

The calamity has left a trail of destruction:

• 225 houses, 7 shops, and 243 cattle sheds were damaged

• 31 vehicles, 14 bridges, and numerous roads were washed away or blocked

• 215 cattle perished, while 494 people were successfully rescued

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), as of Sunday evening, 243 roads remained blocked across Himachal, with 183 closures reported in Mandi district alone. Additionally, 241 transformers and 278 water supply schemes were affected.

Rainfall and Fresh Warning

Light to moderate rainfall continued across the state. Nangal Dam recorded the highest rainfall at 56 mm, followed by Olinda, Berthin, Una, Naina Devi, Gohar, and Brahmani. The local meteorological office has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain at isolated locations until July 10.

Losses Mounting, Death Toll Rises

The SEOC has pegged the estimated losses from the rains at ₹572 crore, though Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the actual figure could be closer to ₹700 crore as assessments continue.

Since the onset of the monsoon on June 20, the state has recorded 78 deaths, including 50 from rain-triggered events like landslides, cloudbursts, and flash floods. Another 121 people have been injured.