Two people were injured and five houses damaged after landslides struck two villages in Rampur area of Shimla district, officials said on Saturday.
In Sheel Prog village, the houses of Tulsi Das, Lekhraj and Harish Kumar were damaged. In Thala village, the houses of brothers Gopi Chand and Pyare Lal were affected. Pyare Lal and his son Hemant sustained injuries in the incident, officials added.
Meanwhile, thousands of pilgrims on the Manimahesh Yatra remain stranded in Chamba district, most of them in Bharmour. Authorities said efforts were being made to send them home safely.
Heavy rains over the past few days have closed 560 roads, including key highways such as the Chandigarh–Manali road, the Old Hindustan Tibet road, the Mandi–Dharampur road, and the Aut–Sainj road.
The Chandigarh–Manali highway was blocked again after a landslide near Hanogi Mata temple on the Mandi–Kullu stretch. Vehicles were stuck on both sides. A police team led by Pandoh post in-charge Anil Katoch narrowly escaped when part of the mountain suddenly gave way during patrolling. Road-clearing machines have been deployed, police said.
In Manali, the situation remains grim after widespread destruction over the past five days. The Beas river has washed away large chunks of land on its right bank, and the bridge connecting Old Manali has collapsed. Locals said water had entered several houses and shops. Drinking water schemes have also been hit after the flooding of the Manalsu drain.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), 936 power transformers and 223 water supply schemes have been disrupted. Of the 560 closed roads, 214 are in Mandi district and 162 in Kullu.
The local Met office issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rain with thunderstorms in Una, Chamba, Kangra, Kullu and Mandi districts on Saturday. Similar warnings are in place for Chamba, Kangra and Kullu on Sunday.
The police have urged people to remain calm, avoid rumours and cooperate with the authorities. DGP Ashok Tewari said satellite phones had been provided in Bharmour and nearby areas to help stranded pilgrims connect with families. He added that the police teams are working round the clock to clear blocked roads and restore traffic.
The state received moderate to heavy rain in many areas in the 24 hours ending Friday evening. Bhattiyat in Chamba recorded the highest rainfall at 104 mm, followed by Jogindernagar 86 mm, Rampur 75.5 mm, Dharamshala 69.4 mm, Shimla 62 mm, and Nahan 60 mm. Other areas like Palampur, Murari Devi, Sarahan, Gohar, Shillaroo and Kangra also saw significant rainfall.
Since June 20, Himachal Pradesh has recorded 164 deaths in rain-related incidents, while 40 people are missing, SEOC data shows. The state has faced 91 flash floods, 43 cloudbursts and 88 major landslides so far this season. Losses are estimated at Rs 2,774 crore.
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