Video: Landslide hits Shimla's Lindi Dhar village; monsoon mayhem continues across Himachal Pradesh

NEW DELHI: A landslide struck Lindi Dhar village in Shimla district on Thursday amid relentless monsoon rains lashing Himachal Pradesh, adding to the series of natural disasters battering the hill state.

A video of the landslide, widely shared on social media, shows large chunks of land slipping away.



This incident comes as Himachal Pradesh reels under the impact of intense monsoon activity, which has claimed at least 51 lives since June 20. Of these, 30 deaths were due to floods, landslides, and cloudbursts, while 21 were the result of road accidents, according to the Himachal Pradesh Disaster Management Authority (HPDMA).


In Mandi district alone, the death toll from cloudbursts and flash floods has risen to 13, with 29 people still missing. Officials said 10 cloudbursts, three flash floods, and a landslide were reported in Mandi on Tuesday, severely damaging homes, roads, and infrastructure. Over 150 houses and 14 bridges have been damaged, while 162 cattle have perished. Search and rescue operations are being carried out by teams from the NDRF, SDRF, police, and home guards.

“Currently, our top priority is rescue and relief work, not damage assessment. But as per initial departmental data, we estimate damages of around Rs 300 crore across sectors,” said DC Rana, Special Secretary in the state Revenue and Disaster Management Department.

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur both visited affected areas. Sukhu assured that land will be allotted to displaced residents, even if it means involving the Union government to clear forest land for resettlement. Thakur, meanwhile, warned that the number of missing could rise and suggested air-dropping food supplies to cut-off areas.

The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) reported that 261 roads across the state remain blocked, including 186 in Mandi district. Nearly 600 transformers and 797 water supply schemes have been disrupted. The Manali-Keylong road is also closed due to flooding near Solang Nallah, with traffic rerouted via Rohtang Pass.

The Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall from July 5 to 9 and warned of potential flash floods in parts of Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur districts.