Rescues continue in Chamba as fresh Cloudburst hits Kinnaur
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Shimla, Aug 29,
Even as rescue teams continue their round-the-clock efforts to evacuate stranded pilgrims and trace the dead and missing in Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh has been struck by yet another blow of nature’s fury. On Friday morning, a cloudburst ripped through Lippa village in tribal Kinnaur, sending gushing waters cascading through fields and orchards, wiping away livelihoods and spreading panic. Though initial reports suggested two people were missing, they were later traced safely, while officials rushed to the spot to assess damages and roll out relief measures.
The hill state remains battered on multiple fronts. In Kullu’s Ani region, a massive landslide buried three houses in Lower Patarna, leaving two women missing and killing cattle as torrential rains continued through the night. Fearing further slope collapses, the local administration has declared a holiday in schools and colleges while many houses remain at risk.
The vital Kiratpur–Manali four-lane highway has once again been paralyzed, with recurring landslides at Kainchi Mor and Banala collapsing sections of the road. Heavy boulders tumbling from the mountainside have made clearance impossible, forcing authorities to suspend all traffic.
Meanwhile in Chamba, the Manimahesh Yatra has been thrown into crisis. Since August 24, seven pilgrims have lost their lives to landslides, eight have sustained injuries, and nine remain missing. Connectivity beyond Bharmour has snapped, trapping nearly 8,000 devotees. Of them, 3,457 have been evacuated, while rescue teams battle hostile terrain and weather to bring others to safety.
Also read:News Report: Stranded pilgrims on the Manimahesh yatra route
In Solan too, the monsoon has left its mark. A pickup truck loaded with vegetables narrowly escaped plunging into a gorge at Damkadi after debris swept it off the road. Locals tied ropes to anchor the vehicle, averting a major tragedy, but several other routes in the district remain blocked due to sliding rocks and mud.
With the India Meteorological Department warning of heavy rainfall persisting through the weekend, Himachal Pradesh has put all districts on high alert. The cumulative toll of this monsoon is already grim—42 cloudbursts, 90 flash floods and 86 landslides have been recorded so far, leaving 312 dead, 374 injured and 37 still missing. For the mountain state, each spell of rain now carries the weight of disaster, turning fragile hillsides into battle zones for survival.
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