Monsoon mayhem grips Himachal and J&K, newlywed couple, child among 4 killed

Himachal monsoon

Heavy rains and landslides caused widespread destruction across Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir on Monday, leaving at least four people dead, including a newlywed couple and a five-year-old student, while severing transport links and crippling essential services in the worst-hit areas.

In Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district, Rahul and Pallavi, a young married couple, were buried alive when a landslide crushed their home in Sutanh village around 3.30 am as they slept, according to a TOI report. The state saw over 400 roads blocked, with Mandi district alone accounting for 242 closures, leaving vehicles stranded in floodwaters.

The Bhakra Beas Management Board released 42,000 cusecs of water from Pandoh Dam after the Beas and other rivers surged dangerously. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Shimla, Sirmaur, Chamba, Kangra and Mandi, warning of "extremely heavy rainfall" and advising against travel.

Meanwhile, in Jammu & Kashmir, a 70-year-old pilgrim died and nine others were injured when a massive landslide struck the old Vaishno Devi shrine track in Reasi district, PTI reported. The landslide destroyed a booking office and an overhead iron structure in Katra town, which recorded 184.2 mm of rain in 24 hours.

In Poonch district, another landslide hit a government school, killing a five-year-old student and injuring five others. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed grief over the casualties.

Himachal Pradesh has suffered significantly since the monsoon began on June 20, with 72 deaths, 34 missing persons, and losses exceeding Rs 1,235 crore due to flash floods, cloudbursts and landslides. Schools remained shut in multiple districts, including Shimla, Mandi and Sirmaur, as per PTI.

A central inter-ministerial team, led by G Parthasarathy, arrived in Kullu to assess damages from recent cloudbursts that caused Rs 109.1 crore in losses, TOI reported.

The IMD forecast heavy rains in south Bengal districts from July 23–27, while north Bengal may see downpours between July 25–27. In Karnataka, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada are on alert for heavy showers, PTI reported.

Mumbai faced waterlogging after overnight rains, with the Andheri subway shut due to flooding. An Air India flight from Kochi veered off the runway at Mumbai airport amid heavy rain but no injuries were reported.