Days after devastation due to heavy rain in Kullu Valley, torrential rain and landslides triggered by multiple cloudbursts have wreaked massive havoc in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, leaving at least 10 people dead and 34 missing, as per official numbers. However, locals say 14 bodies have been found so far and about 40 people are missing. The hardest hit is the Seraj region, where entire roads, bridges and homes have been swept away.
The district received 140.7 millimetres (mm) of rainfall — a 1,939 per cent higher than the average of just 6.9 mm. Nearly 13 per cent of Mandi’s average seasonal monsoon rainfall fell in just 24 hours, creating a flood-like situation across the district. The State Disaster Management Authority has deployed teams to the area and rescue operations are underway. About 80,000 people are suspected to be impacted in the region.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inspected the damaged Mandi-Kotli road and met families in relief camps on July 2, according to an official statement. He announced a special relief package for rebuilding homes and enhanced compensation for livestock loss and destroyed cowsheds.
He added that 20 houses had been completely destroyed in Syathi village alone and a collective study by central and state governments was needed to understand why landslides were occurring even on solid strata. “We’ve never seen 8-10 cloudbursts in one night. This needs investigation,” the statement quoted Sukhu as saying.
District-wide, official numbers show five deaths in Gohar subdivision, three in Thunag and one each in Jogindernagar and Karsog. Identification of the deceased is underway.
The impact of the torrential rain is far more severe than it appears on paper, Hem Singh Thakur, president of the Seraj Bar Association, told Down to Earth (DTE). “The scale of destruction across remote villages only beginning to emerge as rescue teams reach the worst-hit areas. Fourteen bodies have been found already. A 16 megawatt hydroelectric project had also been completely destroyed by the cloudburst,” he added.
No house or corner of the Seraj Assembly constituency has been untouched by nature’s fury, Thakur added. “Some are grieving the loss of loved ones, while others have seen their homes buried before their eyes. People are climbing hills in search of mobile signal, desperate to contact family members, but every attempt is failing. The pictures and videos coming through where signal is available are heart-wrenching.”
Thakur described the disaster as “more horrific than imagined,” adding that in many places, “one doesn’t know the condition even a kilometre ahead.” Around 10 per cent of the Chail-Janjheli road has disappeared, most bridges have collapsed and landslides have wiped out remaining roads and connecting paths. He urged the government to launch an immediate aerial survey and deploy the Army and NDRF on a war footing.
Guman Singh of Himalaya Niti Abhiyan (HNA), an advocacy network active in the region, told DTE that the true scale of damage was still unclear, but early signs indicated enormous loss of life, property and infrastructure. “Locals are calling it the worst disaster in living memory,” the organisation said in a statement.
HNA estimated that more than 80,000 people have been affected, hundreds rendered homeless and over 150 homes and shops in Thunag market destroyed. Another 400 homes have been partially or completely damaged in the wider subdivision.
Besides Thunag, Jarol, Deji Pakharair and Pandavashila have been badly hit. Jarol bazaar has been flattened. Infrastructure in the region has been reduced to rubble. Power and water supply systems have collapsed. Roads and bridges have vanished, leaving communities completely cut off. Mobile networks are down. Hospitals, schools and public buildings have been damaged, with recovery expected to take months, the HNA added.
According to HNA, 332 people have been evacuated so far, including 278 from Mandi district. Among the evacuees were 16 people (12 children, 4 women) from Jayuni Khad and seven families from Riki village. Police teams have reached Pandavashila from Janjheli, while SDRF personnel have arrived in Bagsyad.
However, rescue operations face enormous challenges, particularly due to the complete collapse of access routes.
“The socio-economic structure of this region has been broken,” said Guman Singh. “Without a detailed aerial survey and direct Army assistance, it will be very difficult to manage the crisis.”
Local residents have echoed this demand, calling for urgent military and aerial support to deliver supplies, assess damages and coordinate large-scale relief operations.
Meanwhile, the IMD has warned of more heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours, which could complicate rescue efforts further.
A series of cloudbursts, flash floods and heavy rain hammered Kangra and Kullu districts in the state on June 25, 2025. According to the State Emergency Operation Centre’s latest report, the ongoing monsoon season from June 20 to July 1 has so far claimed 51 lives across Himachal Pradesh, with 22 people still missing, reported news outlets. The report found Mandi district to be the worst affected, primarily due to flash floods and cloudbursts.