4 killed as taxi plunges near Rohtang; flash floods ravage Himachal Pradesh

SHIMLA: Four people were killed and another critically injured Sunday morning when their taxi veered off a foggy mountain road at Rahni Nala near Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh and plunged into a deep ravine.The crash came as flash floods triggered by twin cloudbursts overnight pounded Chamba and Mandi, pushing the hill state's monsoon death toll to 78, including road accidents that claimed 28 lives. The estimated damage across the state has climbed to Rs 573 crore.Floodwaters swept away roads, bridges, and water mills, while 63 tourists from Punjab, Haryana, UP, Tamil Nadu, and New Delhi - stuck at Seraj valley - were rescued and brought to Karsog in Mandi after emergency road repairs.Blinding fog may have caused the fatal accident near Rohtang Pass, said DSP KD Sharma. Skid marks on the road showed where the vehicle lost control & swerved off the edge.The deceased were identified as Ranjit Singh, 31, and Harvinder Singh, 27, both from Hoshiarpur in Punjab; Narendra Kumar, 34, the driver from Simsa in Kullu; and Dima Ram, 32, from Karsog. Ravi Kumar, 24, also from Hoshiarpur, remains in critical condition. All passengers, including the driver, worked at a hotel in Manali's Simsa area.Mandi remains one of the hardest-hit districts, with 183 roads still closed. Rescue teams from NDRF and SDRF are using drones to search for missing people.Amid mounting criticism over her delayed response, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut visited Thunag in Seraj valley Sunday. "Though I have no official team or personal fund, I still managed to reach the affected areas. I am also a Himachali and a Pahari," she said.Ranaut defended her absence, saying former CM Jairam Thakur advised her to wait until roads reopened. "PM Modi is abroad but fully aware. Centre has acted swiftly," she said.