Three injured as fresh rain damages more homes in Himachal’s Kangra after cloudburst

Three people were injured and 12 more houses were damaged in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district following overnight rainfall, as authorities continued relief and rescue operations in areas devastated by a cloudburst earlier this week.

Officials said the latest damage in Boh Valley has taken the total number of affected houses to 18, after six homes were washed away during Tuesday's torrential rain.

The cloudburst triggered flash floods and debris flows through Sapedi and Garun villages, while Lam village also faced a similar threat. Several roads leading to the affected villages have been damaged, hampering access for rescue teams and local authorities.

According to officials, the rains have damaged 13 permanent (pucca) houses and five kutcha houses. Nine cowsheds have also been destroyed, while three buffaloes, four cows, one bull and one sheep were killed. Three people sustained injuries.

Residents said they heard a loud explosion-like sound from the surrounding hills moments before a torrent of water, mud and boulders swept through the area. Officials said the timely evacuation of residents helped avert any loss of life.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of continued adverse weather, issuing an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated parts of Kangra and Mandi districts on Wednesday. A yellow alert has also been issued for parts of Chamba, Kullu, Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur districts.

The weather office has further warned of a low to moderate risk of flash floods over the next 24 hours in parts of Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur and Kullu districts.

Heavy rainfall continued across several parts of the state, with Mashobra in Shimla district recording the highest rainfall at 117.5 mm since Tuesday evening. Other areas receiving significant rainfall included Naina Devi (106.4 mm), Nangal Dam (90 mm), Brahmani (77 mm), Kufri (74.2 mm) and Shimla (66.5 mm).

Officials said landslides in the Dibba and Maned Nallah areas had further complicated rescue operations, while several roads across Himachal Pradesh remained blocked because of continuous rain.

Authorities have advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from rivers, streams and landslide-prone areas, and refrain from crossing flooded roads or overflowing bridges. The IMD has forecast that the wet spell is likely to continue until 27 July.

With PTI inputs