The monsoon season’s relentless fury continues to devastate Himachal Pradesh. On Tuesday morning, a new landslide struck the Akhara Bazaar area in Kullu, causing a portion of a house to collapse and leaving two people feared trapped under the debris.
Emergency services were immediately deployed to the scene. An official from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) confirmed that search and rescue operations are ongoing. “Yesterday, around 7:30 a.m., a landslide hit the Akhara Bazaar, and a portion of the house collapsed. Two people are feared trapped…Debris are being removed with the help of the fire brigade teams,” the official said, as teams work tirelessly to clear the rubble.
A State on High Alert: Evacuations and Ongoing Tragedies
The Kullu incident is just one of several recent disasters. In the Ner Gharwarsra Panchayat of Jogindernagar, about 80 km from Mandi, at least 15 houses were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Local authorities moved the residents to safety due to continuous minor landslides in the area. “The evacuation was carried out…in order to prevent any untoward incident. So far, no loss of life or major damage had been reported,” said Sakini Kapoor, the local Station House Officer, confirming that public safety is the top priority.
However, a more tragic event unfolded just a day earlier in Sundernagar town, where a landslide buried two houses. The death toll from that incident has sadly risen to six after three more bodies were recovered. The Indian Army, NDRF, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are all on the ground, leading the difficult search and rescue efforts.
The Big Picture: Himachal Pradesh Grapples with Devastation
These recent events are part of a larger crisis gripping the state. Over the past few weeks, torrential monsoon rains have triggered flash floods, landslides, and widespread waterlogging, causing immense damage to infrastructure, agriculture, and livelihoods. Roads are blocked, and rivers are overflowing their banks, making rescue and relief efforts a monumental task.
According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), the monsoon fury has claimed a total of 340 lives since June 20. Of these, 182 deaths were directly caused by rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, and house collapses, while 158 were the result of road accidents. As rescue teams from various agencies—including the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy—work tirelessly to provide aid, the state continues to face one of its most challenging monsoon seasons in recent memory.