Himachal Pradesh, India – At least five people have lost their lives and over a dozen are feared missing after torrential rains triggered devastating flash floods in the hilly northern state, officials reported on Friday.
The tragedy unfolded late Wednesday near a hydroelectric power project in Kangra district, about 18 kilometres from the popular tourist town of Dharamshala. According to Sudhir Sharma, a local legislator, 15 to 20 workers resting in a temporary shed were swept away when water from a nearby reservoir rose abruptly due to intense rainfall.
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Dinesh Sharma, a spokesperson for the local administration, confirmed that a massive search and rescue operation has been launched to locate the missing. The Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Response Force (HP-SDRF) is leading efforts, which include evacuating around 50 stranded tourists to safer areas.
The state government’s status report, issued Thursday, confirmed eight people are missing in Kangra and another three in the neighbouring Kullu district. The deceased have been identified as Chain Singh from Jammu & Kashmir, Aditya Thakur from Chamba, Sanjay from Nurpur, and Pardeep Verma and Chandan from Uttar Pradesh. One survivor was rescued alive.
In the last 24 hours, Himachal has witnessed three cloudbursts, nine flash floods, and three landslides, according to the HP-SDRF. More than 150 people have been rescued as operations continue under challenging weather conditions.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu convened a virtual emergency review meeting and urged officials to remain on high alert. He stressed the importance of public safety, emergency preparedness, and immediate accessibility of disaster response teams, especially as the region continues to experience adverse monsoon conditions.
Flash floods and cloudbursts are recurrent threats in Himachal Pradesh during the rainy season, with environmentalists repeatedly warning about the ecological impact of rapid development and unchecked infrastructure expansion in these fragile mountain zones.
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