A woman lost her life after she hit a rock near Oat in Mandi district, officials said on Wednesday, as heavy rains lashed several parts of Himachal Pradesh, including Shimla, Manali and Dharamshala, leading to the closure of several roads, rising river levels and power outages.
Sukhbir Kaur (38), a resident of Nalagarh in Solan district, was heading to Manikaran with her family when she was hit by a falling rock while getting out of the car on the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway near UT, killing her on the spot.
The officials said that the police took the body to a nearby hospital for an autopsy.
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The incessant rains caused flood-like conditions in the villages of Lanut and Fagdug in Chamba district, where debris falling from the mountain entered two houses, causing severe damage, including cracks in the walls.
Acting SDM and Tehsildar Abhiray Singh Thakur said instructions have been issued to the officials concerned to inspect the site and provide assistance to the affected families.
The southwest monsoon, which reached Himachal on Tuesday, had covered the entire state by Wednesday, the Shimla Meteorological Office said, as it issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rains at isolated places from July 2 to 6, except July 4.
Public and private schools that were closed due to the heat reopened on Wednesday, but attendance was weak due to heavy rain.
According to the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), 28 roads were closed in Mandi, 12 roads in Kullu, and two roads each in Lahaul-Spiti and Una districts.
Several areas of the state have witnessed heavy rain since Tuesday evening.
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Nagrota Surian in Kangra district recorded the highest rainfall of 102.5 mm, followed by Ghumrur (95.2 mm), Guler (87.2 mm), Palampur (74.4 mm), Saloni (68.2 mm), Jogindernagar (48 mm), Kahu (44.5 mm), Dehra Gopipur (38.3 mm), Perthen (37.4 mm), and Sujanpur Tera (36 mm). Officials said.
Rain also lashed the popular towns of Shimla, Manali and Dharamshala, while thunderstorms and lightning were reported in Cauvery, Palampur, Kangra, Sundernagar, Goberhati and Bhuntar.
The Shimla-Matur National Highway was closed for vehicular traffic after a landslide, with police releasing details of alternative routes for commuters to Shimla, Mandi, Bilaspur and Hamirpur.
According to the police, vehicles traveling from Bilaspur and Hamirpur to Shimla can reach their destination via Gomarwin, Gokhala, Mountain Bridge, Ranikotla, Kharsi and Widmud, while those traveling from Shimla to Mandi can take the route via Widmud, Navgaon, Kharsi, Ranikotla and Bayri.
The Chamba Tissa main road was also closed near Pangula Nalla due to the landslide caused by heavy rains, officials said.
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Water levels rose in many rivers and their tributaries. They added that the Swan River in the Una district was flowing heavily, prompting authorities to warn people not to risk approaching it.
According to SEOC data, 128 people died in Himachal due to drowning, lightning, snake bites and electrocution in the pre-monsoon period from March 1 to June 30, with the state sustaining losses of up to $2,984 lakh.
