SHIMLA, Aug. 18 — Two pilgrims were killed after being struck by shooting stones during the Manimahesh yatra in Chamba district on Sunday, even as flash floods and landslides wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh, disrupting road connectivity and damaging property.
Officials identified one of the deceased as Sarvan Singh, 37, of Punjab’s Hoshiarpur, while the other remains unidentified. Police said the incident occurred between Gauri Kund and Sundrasi. This is the second such fatality during the pilgrimage within a week, after a devotee from Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district died in a similar incident on August 14.
Meanwhile, heavy rains triggered multiple flash floods in Mandi district, hitting Panarsa, Takoli and Nagwain areas the hardest. The Mandi-Kullu stretch of the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway (NH-21) remained blocked, causing major disruption in vehicular movement. The four-lane Kiratpur-Manali highway was also shut due to waterlogging.
SDM Sadar Mandi Rupinder Kaur ordered closure of all government and private educational institutions, including anganwadi centres, on August 18 in the subdivision. A cloudburst over Shalanal near Thalaut further worsened the situation, with floodwaters entering the office of four-lane construction company Afcon and adjoining buildings.
According to the state disaster management authority, 352 roads remain blocked across Himachal, including three national highways — NH-305, NH-5 and NH-21. While NH-305 is shut at Gajadhar, Feredanallah and Jahed, the alternate Kandugad route in Kullu is also blocked. NH-5 is closed at Tinku Nalla, and NH-21 faces multiple obstructions due to landslides.
In Takoli, a sudden cloudburst caused severe destruction at the local vegetable market. APMC chairman Sanjeev Guleria said the disaster has dealt a heavy blow to commission agents and traders. “This natural disaster has not only affected the common people but also traders working in the market. The government must provide relief quickly so that business and life can return to normal,” he said.
Kullu district also bore extensive damage. Flooding of drains in Patwar Circle Mohal led to crop loss and road damage. Kiosks and shops were swept away, houses damaged, and water entered the primary school at Badah, Bhuntar market, regional Kanungo Bhawan and even a de-addiction centre near Sabzi Mandi. In Kashwari village of Nouri Phaati, a house partially collapsed, leaving three people injured.
In Shimla, traffic movement was disrupted after the Shimla-Mandi road near Tattapani sank into the Sutlej river due to scouring. In Kangra, heavy rainfall triggered landslides in Dharamshala-McLeodganj. A major stretch of the Khada-Danda road near Jogiwara was washed away, forcing commuters to take a 13-km-long bypass route.
Officials said restoration work is underway, though the scale of damage has left several areas cut off. No further casualties beyond Chamba were reported till late evening.
