Himachal flashfloods: Cofferdam bursts at power site; vehicles, machinery swept away in Kullu

NEW DELHI: A video has surfaced from Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district showing the collapse of a cofferdam at the Malana-I Hydropower Project following relentless monsoon rains.

The sudden breach was triggered by continuous downpour and flash floods. The incident sent panic through the downstream areas as heavy machinery and vehicles were swept away.


The footage shows the river in full fury, tearing through the dam site and dragging several vehicles, including a hydra crane, dumper truck, camper and a rock breaker, into the waters.


The collapse has added to the growing toll of destruction caused by the monsoon across the state. The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said essential services remain badly affected.

As of 10:00 am on August 2, 383 roads are still blocked, 747 power transformers have failed, and 249 water supply systems are non-functional due to rain-related damage.

The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has reported that 173 people have died in rain-related incidents and road accidents since the start of the monsoon. Of these, 95 fatalities were directly due to rain-triggered events like landslides, flash floods, and house collapses. The remaining 78 deaths occurred in road accidents, often caused by slippery roads and poor visibility.

Visuals from several parts of Himachal continue to highlight the scale of devastation, with landslides, mudslides and river overflows threatening life and infrastructure.

The Meteorological Department has warned of more intense rainfall in the coming days.

Select The Times of India as your preferred source on Google Search