The death toll from heavy rainfall leading to severe landslides in the Indian Himalayas over the past weekend has reached 41, with more than a dozen others trapped or reported missing.
Rain causes landslides in the Indian Himalayas. (Photo: Reuters).
Images shared across media outlets show numerous homes flattened by the heavy rains, with buses and cars precariously hanging on cliffs, as hundreds gather at disaster relief sites.
The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, stated, “tragedy has struck again” in the state as continuous rainfall has poured down over the past 48 hours. Relief workers, along with local authorities, are actively clearing debris and searching for survivors who remain trapped. The local government has also closed schools and more than 700 roads in the area, while evacuating residents from dangerous zones to safer locations.
One of the most serious fatal incidents related to the severe weather involved the collapse of a temple in the capital, Shimla. A rescue worker reported: “It is evident that mud has blocked the railway and road tracks that have collapsed. Beneath this structure, there may be around 20 to 25 people trapped. Essentially, this is a 150-year-old temple dedicated to the deity Shiva. There has been significant loss of life and property. We have found at least four bodies here.”
Local television footage also captured scenes of swollen rivers overflowing their banks in Himachal Pradesh and the neighboring state of Uttarakhand, where record rainfall has damaged many roads and infrastructure.
India’s Meteorological Department today issued a “red alert” for both Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Forecasts indicate that rainfall intensity is expected to gradually decrease starting tomorrow.
