Mandi, September 16 — Torrential rains battered Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district early Tuesday, unleashing flash floods and landslides that left three people dead, four missing, and caused extensive damage to homes, shops, and public property.
In Bragta village under Boe panchayat of Nihri tehsil, a landslide struck a residential house, burying five members of a family. Villagers managed to pull out two people alive, both critically injured, and rushed them to a nearby hospital. A joint rescue team of locals, police, and disaster response personnel continued searching for the remaining three, though officials said ongoing rains and unstable soil were slowing the operation.
Another flash flood inundated Dharampur’s main market late Monday night, submerging the bus stand and sweeping away several Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses. Dozens of vehicles were also damaged. Authorities reported that one person remains missing in the incident.
“Several HRTC buses have either been washed away or badly damaged. Shops have suffered massive losses due to flooding. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed,” said Dharampur Sub-Divisional Magistrate Joginder Patiyal.
Local shopkeepers reported heavy losses as floodwaters gushed into their establishments, damaging goods and infrastructure. Initial estimates suggest damages running into several crores.
BJP leader Rajat Thakur, who visited the affected areas, expressed grief over the timing of the disaster. “On the day of the Sair festival, nature has inflicted deep wounds on the people of Dharampur. The estimated losses are in crores, and urgent support is needed for the affected families,” he said.
District administration teams, along with volunteers and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), remain deployed in the affected areas for relief and rescue work.
