A long vehicular traffic jam was reported on National Highway (NH-5) towards Pooh and Kaza near Poobrani Jhula as boulders and landslides blocked the lane in the early hours of Wednesday, July 2. BRO teams are working on-site to restore the route. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) continue to issue a red alert for Himachal Pradesh as rainfall wreaked havoc in several districts in the state. Cloudbursts were also reported in Mandi district, which led to the death of five people and several others missing in flash floods caused by cloudbursts. The death toll in the rain-related incident rose to over 20 in the state.
Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Jairam Thakur said, "Due to the rain, a lot of damage has been caused, especially in my assembly constituency Seraj, and significant damage has occurred in the Nachan assembly constituency. I am going to my assembly constituency... Around 30 people are missing, and eight bodies have been recovered. I have spoken to officials to restore the roads that are closed, and the water and electricity supply that has been affected. I have also spoken to the Chief Minister."
Cloudbursts struck 11 locations across Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, triggering sudden flooding in rivers and streams and causing landslides in several areas. At least 10 people have died in these incidents, and around 30 people, including six from a single family, are missing. Mandi district has been the worst affected, with the rain evoking memories of the devastating floods of 2023.
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Officials said Mandi district received 253.8 mm of rainfall within 24 hours, severely disrupting normal life. Of the 11 reported cloudbursts, seven occurred in Mandi district alone. Flash floods caused extensive damage, uprooting and washing away hundreds of trees in Chulathaj and sweeping away several people.
Search operations are ongoing for the 30 missing individuals. Cloudbursts were reported at four places in Gohar, three in Karsog, two in Dharampur, and one in Thunag, all in Mandi district. The weather department has issued warnings of heavy rainfall for Mandi, Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Shimla districts in the coming hours. There’s a high risk of flash floods, prompting the administration to remain on alert.
Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu stated that the state has already suffered losses estimated at ₹500 crore due to the disaster, and the figure is expected to rise. Rescue and relief operations have been launched. NDRF and SDRF teams, along with the police, are involved in search and evacuation efforts. Rivers in Mandi district have crossed danger levels, leading to collapsed houses and washed-away roads, further disrupting life across the state.