Severe monsoon rains have battered Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, leaving behind scenes of overflowing rivers, collapsed roads, damaged houses, and overturned vehicles. At least 15 people have died in Uttarakhand while three were killed in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, following a landslide on Tuesday.
In Uttarakhand, Dehradun recorded intense rainfall since Monday night, causing widespread damage in Tapovan, Sahastradhara, and IT Park areas. Authorities confirmed that 15 lives were lost, 16 people remain missing, and more than 900 are stranded after swollen rivers washed away vital roads and bridges. Dehradun alone accounted for 13 deaths, with one fatality each reported from Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar.
A bridge near Uttaranchal University in Prem Nagar, Dehradun, collapsed due to flash floods, severing connectivity to nearby hostels. Power and telephone lines were also disrupted as electricity poles toppled, with restoration work underway.
Dr. Chander Singh Tomar, Head of the India Meteorological Centre in Dehradun, explained the phenomenon as an interaction of easterly and westerly winds, which triggered heavy precipitation. He noted that the rainfall was expected and an orange alert remains in place until September 17, 8:30 am. Uttarakhand has so far recorded 1375.9 mm of rainfall between September 1 and 16, 24% above normal.
In Himachal Pradesh, heavy overnight showers triggered floods and landslides, killing three members of a family in Mandi district as debris from a cliff buried their home. Visuals from Dharampur bus stand in Mandi showed buses swept away, while landslides buried dozens of vehicles and forced the closure of National Highway 5 in Shimla district.
Since the onset of monsoon on June 20, Himachal has reported 417 deaths, 45 missing persons, and 477 injuries. The state has already faced 46 cloudbursts, 97 flash floods, and 140 landslides this year. Currently, 655 roads, three national highways, 1,250 power transformers, and 160 water supply schemes remain affected. A yellow alert has been issued for five districts, with more rainfall expected.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)