Drones, sniffer dogs and boots on the ground are scouring the devastated hills of Mandi district, where 30 people remain missing following a series of cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides that ravaged the region last week.
The calamity, which hit the Thunag, Gohar and Karsog subdivisions, has led to one of the largest search and rescue efforts in recent times, with about 250 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and Home Guards combing the wreckage in coordination with the district administration and local volunteers.
According to state officials, 20 field teams have also been deployed to gather damage assessments and distribute essential supplies, including ration kits and medical aid, in areas cut off by the disaster. A total of 1,538 ration kits have been provided so far, with immediate relief of ₹12.44 lakh disbursed. Additional assistance of ₹5 lakh each is being dispatched to Thunag and Janjheli blocks.
The devastation has been widespread. Authorities confirmed damage to at least 225 homes, seven shops, 243 cattle sheds, and 14 bridges. Thirty-one vehicles were swept away or crushed under debris, while 215 head of cattle perished. Rescue personnel have managed to evacuate 494 people to safer areas.
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On Sunday evening, the State Emergency Operation Centre reported that 243 roads were still closed across Himachal Pradesh, with Mandi alone accounting for 183 of them. Power and water supply have also taken a hit, with 241 transformers and 278 water schemes impacted.
Rainfall continues to lash several parts of the state. Nangal Dam recorded 56 mm of precipitation, followed by Olinda (46 mm), Berthin (44.6 mm), Una (43 mm), Naina Devi (36.4 mm), Gohar (29 mm), and Brahmani (28.4 mm). The local meteorological office has issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall at isolated locations till July 10.
The state government has pegged initial losses at approximately ₹572 crore, but Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma indicated the figure could climb closer to ₹700 crore as detailed reports arrive from interior regions.
Since the onset of the monsoon on June 20, Himachal Pradesh has reported 78 deaths, of which 50 were directly attributed to rain-induced disasters such as landslides and cloudbursts. Another 121 persons have sustained injuries, according to the SEOC.
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