Over 99 people rescued; torrential rains damage houses, cowsheds across Mandi district; Orange alert issued for five days
Mandi/Karsog – Torrential rains triggered by multiple cloudbursts have wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh, especially in the Karsog, Gohar and Dharampur regions of Mandi district, leaving at least four people dead and 16 missing. The cloudbursts, which struck late last night, have caused widespread destruction to homes, livestock, and roads, while rescue operations continue in difficult conditions.
In Gohar sub-division alone, nine people are reported missing in Syanj village, where flash floods swept away homes. A house located near the Syanj drain was washed away, and while a mother and daughter were rescued, seven others are feared swept away. Three more individuals are missing in Talwara, and two in Bara of the Saraj area. Four girls were rescued in Bara and one in Talwara by NDRF and SDRF teams.
In Karsog, one person has died, and the search is ongoing for four missing persons. Dharampur has also reported extensive damage, with two houses and five cowsheds affected in Triyambala. In Bhadrana village, four homes and three cowsheds were severely damaged. A total of 26 cattle have died in these incidents.
District administration officials stated that a total of 99 people have been rescued from flood-affected areas, including 11 in Mandi city. Deputy Commissioner Mandi Apoorv Devgan is overseeing the ground situation in the worst-hit areas such as Bara and Talwara. Relief and rescue operations are in full swing, aided by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local police.
Tragedy was narrowly averted in Sujanpur when the Beas river swelled near Khairi village early in the morning. Five to seven houses were flooded. Locals alerted the authorities around 4:30 am, and officials promptly stopped the release of water from Pandor Dam. Although Sujanpur police couldn’t reach the site due to road blockages, the Jungle Beri Battalion managed to reach and rescue around 40 people by 8:00 am. Among those rescued were 15 migrant workers and several residents.
Several areas, including Bagsyad and Sharan village of Siraj, have been buried under water and debris due to the cloudburst. Vehicles and homes lie damaged, with accessibility to some regions still severely restricted.
Rainfall Record and Weather Forecast
According to the Meteorological Centre Shimla, an orange alert has been issued for the entire state from July 1 to July 7. Last night, extremely heavy rainfall was recorded across the region: 223.6 mm in Sandhol, 216.8 mm in Mandi, 215 mm in Pandoh, 196 mm in Bijahi, and 160.2 mm in Karsog. Gohar recorded 125 mm while Kotkhai received 83.1 mm.
The weather department has warned of more heavy to very heavy rains in the next 72 hours in districts including Mandi, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan and Una.
The administration has appealed to residents to avoid landslide-prone areas and overflowing drains. The disaster response teams have been directed to remain on standby round-the-clock. Evacuation is being facilitated in vulnerable areas.
