SHIMLA: Moderate to heavy rainfall across Himachal Pradesh on Saturday triggered landslides in Shimla, caused a bailey bridge in Sangla to collapse and led to floodwaters submerging a house in Kinnaur district.
In Shimla city, a retaining wall beneath a road near Sanjauli College in the Bothwell area collapsed early in the morning, sending debris towards houses located below.
Officials from the district administration and other departments reached the site to assess the situation. Residents alleged that excavation work linked to a private construction project had weakened the area, leading to the landslide amid continuous rainfall.
Locals demanded an immediate halt to construction activity and a geological survey of the area, stating that three to four buildings were at risk and access to some houses had been disrupted.
Residents also pointed out that a similar landslide occurred at the same location in June 2025, when debris and rocks fell onto nearby houses.
Another landslide was reported at Mohal Rajhana on the outskirts of Shimla, where two parked vehicles were buried under rocks, boulders and debris.
In Kinnaur district, heavy rainfall caused the Lippa stream to swell, flooding a single-storeyed house near the Lippa bus stand and posing a threat to several other houses. Strong currents also caused soil erosion near the bus stand and damaged the road.
Meanwhile, a bailey bridge near the Sangla bus stand collapsed into the Tongtongche stream. The bridge, which had been declared unsafe by authorities on Friday, was installed only last year.
The administration has advised residents to stay away from rivers, streams and affected areas and follow safety guidelines issued by the Disaster Management Department.
The local weather department reported heavy rainfall in several areas, with Nahan recording 158.9 mm of rain since Friday evening, followed by Solan with 80.2 mm and Nagrota Suriyan with 62.5 mm.
The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for moderate to heavy rainfall at isolated places in Shimla, Kullu, Chamba, Bilaspur and Sirmaur districts.
(With inputs from PTI)