Torrential rainfall has battered several parts of Himachal Pradesh over the past 24 hours, severely disrupting daily life, triggering hazardous landslides, and damaging key infrastructure across the hill state. A tragic landslide at a mining location in Sirmaur district claimed the lives of three workers, while administrative authorities in Una district's Bangana sub-division were forced to shut down all schools and colleges on Wednesday as a safety measure. In Kangra district's Dehra area, swift river currents swept away an empty vehicle. Compounding the crisis, twin earthquakes struck Chamba and Kangra districts on Tuesday evening, sending waves of panic through local communities. The Meteorological Centre in Shimla has issued a three-day yellow alert for the entire state as heavy precipitation continues.
Mine Landslide Tragedy in Sirmaur and Ongoing Rescue Operations
A major disaster occurred on Tuesday at the Baangandhar mining site located under Kamrau tehsil in Shillai, Sirmaur district. A massive chunk of rock and debris collapsed without warning from the adjacent hill slope, trapping three mine workers beneath the rubble. The deceased have been identified as Anil Kumar, a resident of Barwas village, alongside Gajendra Singh, aged 65, and Dhan Singh, aged 68, both citizens of Nepal. Emergency responders faced immense hurdles in retrieving the victims' bodies due to continuous rockfalls and dense fog covering the mountain terrain.
Local administrative officials remain stationed at the site to direct operations, and an NDRF team has been deployed to assist in the hazardous rescue efforts. Confirming the incident, DC Sirmaur Priyanka Verma stated that three people lost their lives in the Baangandhar mining zone due to the landslide, comprising two individuals of Nepali origin and one local resident. Providing additional operational updates, DC Priyanka Verma confirmed that stranded school children and teaching staff in the Matar region were successfully rescued by emergency teams without injuries.
Record Rainfall Figures Across Districts and Local Disruption
According to the official weather bulletin issued by the Meteorological Centre Shimla on Wednesday morning, heavy to extremely heavy rainfall was recorded across multiple districts over the preceding 12 hours. Sujanpur Tira in Hamirpur district logged the highest rainfall in the state at 156.4 mm. Significant precipitation was also recorded at Naina Devi in Bilaspur district with 138.6 mm and Nadaun in Hamirpur district with 128.4 mm.
Elsewhere in the state, Dharamshala in Kangra district received 127.2 mm of rainfall, while Bharwain in Una district recorded 118.0 mm. Both Kangra town and Palampur registered identical rainfall figures of 111.0 mm, and Nagrota Surian recorded 90.8 mm. On Wednesday, intense rain spells continued to pour over Mandi, Kullu, Una, and Kangra districts. Responding to the rising safety concerns, authorities in Bangana sub-division ordered the temporary closure of all public and private educational institutions. Meanwhile, in Dehra, Kangra, local river water levels surged dramatically, carrying away a car parked near the bank. Weather forecasters have reiterated a yellow alert for the next three days.
Panic in Chamba and Kangra Following Moderate Twin Earthquakes
Adding to the anxiety caused by incessant rains, two moderate earthquakes struck the high-risk mountain belt of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday evening. Panic-stricken residents rushed out of their homes as tremors shook Chamba and Kangra districts. Data released by the National Center for Seismology (NCS) indicates that the first tremor struck Chamba at 6:54 PM with a magnitude of 3.6. Its epicenter was located near Kareri at a shallow focal depth of 5 km.
Approximately 45 minutes later, around 7:39 PM, a second earthquake of similar moderate intensity occurred in Kangra district, also originating at a depth of 5 km below the surface. Because of the shallow depth of both epicenters, the shocks were felt intensely on the surface. Officials confirmed on Wednesday that no loss of life or structural damage to property has been reported from either district. District administration teams are maintaining close surveillance over the region. Both Kangra and Chamba are categorized under Seismic Zone-5, denoting the highest vulnerability to earthquake damage.
Widespread Damage to Roads, Power Lines, and Water Schemes
Official assessment figures released by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) at 10:00 AM on Wednesday underscore the widespread impact on essential public utilities. Landslides and torrential rain have blocked a total of 279 roads across Himachal Pradesh. The disruption is most pronounced in Chamba, Mandi, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, and Shimla districts, leaving numerous remote villages temporarily isolated from main transport corridors.
The heavy rainfall has also crippled vital municipal infrastructure. Across the state, 310 drinking water supply schemes have been rendered non-operational, disturbing clean water delivery to local communities. Furthermore, 84 electrical transformers have suffered severe damage or outages, leaving several pockets without electricity. Disaster management teams and public works personnel are actively deploying heavy machinery to clear debris from blocked roadways and restore disrupted power and water networks.
