Tragedy struck Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, June 25, as cloudbursts, flash floods, and relentless rain caused widespread destruction across several districts.
In Kangra, two bodies were recovered from the Manuni Khad after a sudden surge in water levels. Around 15 to 20 workers, who were resting in temporary shelters near the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric project site, are feared missing. Heavy rain had already paused work at the site, and when floodwaters from Manuni Khad and nearby drains overflowed, they swept straight into the labour colony.
Rescue teams from the SDRF, local administration, gram panchayat, and revenue department quickly reached the area and began search operations. Some workers were found safe, officials said. Dharamsala BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma also confirmed on social media that about 20 workers may have been swept away. Meanwhile, in Kullu district, cloudbursts led to more flash floods, damaging homes, shops, a school, roads, and bridges. Officials reported three people missing in Rehla Bihal, where they were trying to save their belongings when floodwaters swept them away.
Three separate cloudburst incidents were reported from Jeeva Nallah and Rehla Bihal in Sainj and Shilagarh in Gadsa. Flash floods also hit Manali and Banjar. Rescue operations are still underway in these areas, despite the ongoing rain and tough conditions, said Kullu ADC Ashwani Kumar. In Manali, a section of the Manali-Chandigarh highway was damaged as the overflowing Beas River eroded part of the road, though traffic is still moving. Videos online show the extent of the damage—one even shows a vehicle floating away in muddy floodwaters.
In Banjar, floods washed away a bridge in Hornagad, water entered a government school, and nearby farmland and a cowshed were damaged. Banjar MLA Surinder Shauri urged people to stay away from rivers and warned that areas like Sainj, Tirthan, and Gadsa have suffered serious losses. Water levels in both the Beas and Sutlej rivers have been rising, and in Lahaul-Spiti, police said landslides and overflowing drains have blocked the road from Kaza to Samdoh.
Rainfall totals were significant: Palampur got the most with 145.5 mm, followed by Jogindernagar (113 mm), Nahan (99.8 mm), Baijnath (85 mm), and others. Thunderstorms also hit places like Sundernagar and Kangra, and winds up to 56 km/h were recorded in Tabo. The coldest spot on Wednesday was Kukumseri in Lahaul-Spiti at 13.1°C, while Una was the hottest at 33.6°C, according to the local weather office.
The MeT Department has warned of a continued risk of flash floods in parts of Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, and Sirmaur until Thursday evening (June 26). An orange alert for heavy rain has been issued for four to seven districts through June 29.