CHANDIGARH: A red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall across several parts of Himachal Pradesh has prompted the state government to announce the closure of all educational institutions, including schools and colleges, in four districts Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur, and Solan.
In a separate incident, a five-storey building collapsed in the Bhattakufar area of Shimla early today. Fortunately, there were no casualties as the building had been evacuated the previous night.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, one person each drowned in Una and Bilaspur districts, while another died after falling from a height in Shimla. As of this evening, 259 roads remain blocked across the state 139 in Mandi, 92 in Sirmaur, 20 in Kullu, four in Una, three in Solan, and one in Kinnaur district. In addition, 614 electricity transformers and 130 water supply schemes have been disrupted.
Three people died in the last 24 hours, taking the total monsoon-related death toll in the state to 44 so far, and 82 have been injured.
The causes of death include flash floods (8), drowning (6), snake bites (2), electrocution (2), falling from steep rocks (4), and road accidents (21).
A landslide near Koti on the Shimla-Kalka National Highway (NH-5), which connects Shimla and Chandigarh, damaged sections of the road, resulting in a traffic jam stretching two to three kilometres.
The collapse of the Bhattakufar building was captured on video and widely circulated on social media. The footage shows the building initially upright, before a widening crack leads to its sudden and complete collapse, while heavy rainfall continues in the background.
In response to the worsening situation, State Revenue, Horticulture and Tribal Development Minister Jagat Singh Negi chaired a high-level meeting today to review monsoon preparedness. Officials from the Public Works Department, Jal Shakti, Electricity Board, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Revenue, and other departments participated.
During the meeting, it was reported that heavy rainfall had particularly impacted Kangra and Mandi districts, with machinery already deployed for emergency response. The Himachal Pradesh Electricity Board confirmed disruptions to 968 transformers due to adverse weather, with restoration work underway. Likewise, 23 drinking water schemes under the Jal Shakti department were affected, and efforts are ongoing to restore services swiftly.
A flash flood was also reported from Sarpara in Rampur, though no casualties have been recorded there.
Negi directed the Disaster Management Authority to respond promptly to all incidents. Noting the presence of large dams in Mandi, Kullu, and Kangra, he instructed Deputy Commissioners of these districts to maintain heightened vigilance. Any violation of safety protocols will be dealt with strictly under the Dam Safety Act and the Disaster Management Act.
He also urged tourists to heed weather advisories and avoid venturing near rivers and streams. Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) across the state have been instructed to remain alert and ready to act.
