Heavy rainfall continues to wreak havoc in Himachal Pradesh, forcing the state government to shut all private and government educational institutions till September 7. Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar issued orders directing schools to conduct online classes for the next four days.
In Mandi’s Jogindernagar area, landslides damaged 10 houses in Kunduni village, with six more at risk of collapse. Authorities evacuated the settlement, shifting 24 families to safer locations. In Kullu’s Akhara Bazaar, a late-night landslide flattened two houses, trapping an NDRF jawan and another person under debris. Earlier, in Mandi’s Sundernagar, two houses collapsed due to a landslide, killing seven people, including four from the same family. In the past 24 hours alone, landslides and house collapses have claimed 13 lives across the state.
Meanwhile, in Shimla’s Rampur, part of the Vishwakarma temple crumbled, while in Kinnaur’s Wangtu, five trucks parked along National Highway-5 were damaged by falling rocks. In Sirmaur’s Paonta Sahib, two homes were swept away into the Giri River.
As a precaution, all schools and colleges in Shimla, Solan, Chamba, Sirmaur, Kullu, Mandi, Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Kangra have been closed, with DCs instructing schools to continue online classes. Across Himachal, 1,333 roads remain blocked due to landslides, and the Meteorological Department has issued a fresh heavy rainfall alert for today.