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Three people, including a woman and her eight-month-old child, were buried alive, and two others from the same family were rescued when their house was buried under debris after a major landslide in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh early Tuesday.
According to officials, the victims have been identified as Tangu Devi, 33, Kamla Devi, 33, and Kamla Devi’s son, Bhisham — all residents of the Bragta village under the Sundar Nagar subdivision. While Darshan Devi, 58, and her husband Khub Ram, 65, were rescued, another person was reported missing during the heavy rain, they added.
During the heavy rain, the Dharampur bus stand was flooded, and several vehicles, including state-run roadways buses, were washed away.
“A seasonal rivulet near the Dharampur market in the Mandi district swelled to a disastrous level, causing widespread damage. Around 1 am, heavy rain forced residents to flee their homes in fear. The Sarakghat and Dharampur subdivisions also received extreme rainfall. As a result, the seasonal rivulet turned ferocious within minutes, submerging the Dharampur bus stand. HRTC buses parked there were drowned, and some were swept away by the strong current,” a government officer supervising the rescue operation said.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri expressed their condolences to the families of those who were killed in the landslide. CM Sukhu said the local administration has been instructed to do its best to trace the missing person.
Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri is scheduled to visit the Bragta village where the three people were killed.
Meanwhile, the state capital Shimla, which recorded the highest rainfall at 141 mm in the last 24 hours, witnessed half a dozen landslides, including one major incident where a dozen vehicles were buried under debris near Himland, BCS, Tutikandi, and other locations.
Two vehicles were buried under debris in Panjari, while a landslide in Bengali Garden, Tutikandi, posed a threat to nearby homes.
On Tuesday morning, traffic on Circular Road remained suspended, affecting buses and other vehicles. People had to walk to their destinations, and students could not reach school. Traffic resumed around 10 am.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Shimla, Himachal Pradesh witnessed intense rain over the past 24 hours, with several regions recording exceptionally high precipitation. Shimla recorded the highest rainfall at 141.0 mm, followed by Nagrota Suriyan with 135.2 mm. Other areas that received significant rainfall include Bhattiyat (Chowari) with 80.0 mm, Sundernagar with 60.5 mm, Slapper with 57.9 mm, Brahmani with 54.4 mm, Guler with 54.2 mm, Mandi with 52.6 mm, and Kangra with 50.5 mm.
The Meteorological Department has forecast light to moderate rain at many places in the state for the day. While light to moderate rainfall is also likely at a few places on September 17 and 18, scattered showers are expected, with isolated places receiving light to moderate rain from September 19 to 22. Additionally, one or two spells of heavy rain are likely at isolated locations Tuesday.
IMD advised residents to stay alert and take necessary precautions, especially in areas prone to waterlogging and landslides.
The widespread downpour has led to disruptions in transport and power supply across many parts of the state, with rescue and relief operations ongoing in the worst-affected areas.
According to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), three national highways — NH-03, NH-503A, and NH-305 — along with 653 state roads remained closed. Additionally, 1,205 power transformers and 160 water supply schemes were disrupted. Mandi reported 313 blocked roads, followed by Kullu with 153, Shimla with 58, and Chamba with 26.
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