SHIMLA, June 26 — As heavy rains continue to lash parts of Himachal Pradesh, the meteorological department has warned of light to moderate flash flood risks across Shimla, Mandi, Kangra, Sirmaur and Chamba districts over the next 24 hours. The state is expected to witness isolated spells of heavy to very heavy rainfall.
Rescue and search operations have been stepped up in Kangra and Kullu districts following a series of devastating cloudbursts on Wednesday evening that triggered flash floods and left at least two people dead and several others feared missing.
In Kangra’s Khanyara village, a cloudburst caused a rivulet near the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric Project to overflow, sweeping away labourers stationed nearby. Six workers remain unaccounted for while four bodies have been recovered. Over 170 others were safely evacuated and given shelter by the local administration. Drones were deployed on Thursday to assist in locating one remaining labourer believed to have escaped toward the hills.
Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa, who visited the affected site, confirmed the scale of the tragedy. “Search and rescue is our top priority. SDRF and Home Guard teams are already on site and NDRF has also been requisitioned,” he said. A special team has been dispatched to search the forest area where one worker was last seen running for safety.
Some of the missing hail from Nurpur and Chamba in Himachal Pradesh, while others are from Uttar Pradesh. Although officials have termed the incident a natural disaster, several labourers alleged that illegal mining and poorly located shelters near the rivulet had worsened the impact.
“The sheds were too close to the drain. Not shifting them when the weather turned dangerous was negligence,” said Dharamshala BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma, who visited the site Thursday morning. “This must be investigated, and the families of the deceased should be compensated fairly,” he added. Sharma noted that the project was just a kilometre from his village and said he received a call on Wednesday night reporting that the water had surged and workers were swept away.
According to officials, construction at the hydroelectric project had been suspended due to the rain, and the workers were resting in temporary shelters when waters from Manuni Khad and nearby drains flooded the labour colony.
In neighbouring Kullu district, rescue teams are still searching for three people missing from the Rehla Bihal area of Sainj. The trio reportedly returned home to collect valuables before being swept away.
Three separate cloudburst events were reported in Jeeva Nallah and Rehla Bihal (Sainj), and Shilagarh in the Gadsa region. Flash floods were also reported from Manali and Banjar, with search operations continuing in those areas as well.
BJP national president J.P. Nadda expressed condolences to the families affected. “In this hour of crisis, every BJP worker is dedicated to providing all possible help to the citizens of Devbhoomi,” he said in a statement. “I pray for peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families.”
With weather conditions remaining volatile and more rain expected, authorities are urging residents and workers in vulnerable zones to remain alert and follow safety advisories.
