Himachal monsoon fury: 74 killed in rain-related incidents; Kangana visits Mandi, says ‘it is my job to bring in funds’

17 of the 74 people killed in rain-related disasters in Himachal Pradesh died in Mandi alone. This prompted a visit from BJP MP Kangana Ranaut and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur to Thunag, one of the cloudburst-affected areas of the district.

The most affected areas in Mandi are the Thunag, Karsog Gohar, and Dharampur subdivisions.

During the visit, the Mandi MP said that the central government provided immediate relief operations by sending in the forces. “At the local level, we provided relief material to the affected families.”

Ranaut also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently on a foreign visit, but is informed of what is happening in the district.

“The central government has swung into action. As an MP, it is my job to bring in funds and convey the ground reality to the government,” she said.

In its daily situation report, the State Emergency Operations Centre said the maximum damage has occurred in Mandi district, where 200 roads are currently blocked due to heavy rains.

The district also reported 236 power transformers and 278 water supply schemes disrupted — the highest in the state.

“Road connectivity is severely affected, particularly in Thunag and the nearby areas,” said Mandi MP, adding that despite that, the Centre and administration are closely monitoring the situation, and relief efforts are underway.

“Road connectivity is being restored. Our teams are in every affected area. We have made committees in the affected areas, which have their chairpersons,” she added.

74 people died

A total of 74 people have lost their lives in Himachal Pradesh since the onset of the monsoon on June 20 till July 5. 47 of these deaths have been attributed to rain-related disasters like landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, electrocution, and snake bites, while the other 27 were from road accidents.

According to a report by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), Mandi district reported the highest number of such deaths, 17, followed by Kangra, 11, and Una, 4.

Among the causes, cloudbursts alone accounted for 14 deaths, while electrocution incidents led to 4 deaths, and flash floods resulted in 8. 6 fatalities were recorded from falls off steep slopes and trees.

In addition, 27 people died in road accidents during the same period, with Chamba district recording 6 such deaths, followed by Bilaspur and Kullu with 3 each.

2 additional deaths occurred on July 5, 1 each in Bilaspur (due to electrocution) and Kullu (due to slippage on wet terrain), highlighting the continuing risks amid the ongoing monsoon.