Heavy monsoon rains continued to disrupt life across Himachal Pradesh, with 70 people losing their lives in rain-related incidents over the past 43 days.
A total of 204 roads remain blocked across the state, while damage to public property has crossed Rs 910 crore, according to the latest government data. The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) report covers the period from June 30 to August 11 and shows the wide impact of heavy rain, landslides, cloudbursts and other weather-related incidents across the hill state.
Pregnant Woman Among 2 Killed In House Collapse
In the latest tragedy, two women, including an eight-month pregnant woman, were killed after a three-storey house collapsed amid heavy rain in Sirmaur district on Wednesday. Two toddlers were also injured in the incident.
The house collapsed in Chhichhadiya Dhar village in the Rajgarh subdivision. Nearby residents rushed to the spot and pulled four people from the rubble before taking them to Rajgarh Civil Hospital, where doctors declared the two women dead.
The deceased were identified as 60-year-old Nirmala and her 32-year-old daughter Pooja. Pooja was eight months pregnant and had been visiting her maternal home with her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter. A one-and-a-half-year-old boy was also trapped under the debris. Both children suffered injuries and are undergoing treatment.
Rajgarh SDM Rajkumar Thakur confirmed the deaths and said immediate relief had been provided to the affected family.
Over 200 Roads Blocked Across State
The continuing rain has severely affected road connectivity in Himachal Pradesh. As many as 204 roads are currently blocked, including two national highways, NH-154 and NH-21. While, Mandi is the worst-affected district, with 80 roads closed, followed by Kullu with 56 and Sirmaur with 23.
The Mandi-Kullu route has also been disrupted at Jalogi Dwada, making movement between the districts difficult. The road closures have affected the movement of essential supplies and emergency teams. Power and water infrastructure have also been hit. Forty-five distribution transformer regions are currently out of service, while around 82 water supply schemes have been affected.
Damage Crosses Rs 910 Crore
The cumulative damage to public property has reached around Rs 910.35 crore. The Public Works Department has suffered the biggest loss, estimated at Rs 686.36 crore, while the power sector has reported damage of around Rs 203.90 crore.
The monsoon has also damaged houses, private structures, livestock and crops across all 12 districts.
According to the SEOC, 70 people have died in direct disaster-related incidents since June 30. Landslides have claimed 14 lives, while 23 people died after falling from steep slopes, rocks or trees. Seven deaths were caused by snake bites, six by electrocution and four by cloudbursts. Separately, 93 people have died in road accidents during the same period.
Authorities are continuing efforts to clear landslides, reopen roads and restore electricity and water supplies. However, continued rainfall and the risk of further landslides remain major challenges for rescue and restoration teams.