Incessant rainfall over the past 48 hours triggered devastating flash floods and landslides across Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, leaving 12 people dead and over 30 missing. The districts of Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, and Lahaul-Spiti have been the worst affected, with more than 80 roads including the Manali-Leh highway and Rohtang Pass route completely blocked. Hundreds of tourists are stranded in Manali, Kasol, and Kaza with no access to road transport.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu declared the situation a State Disaster and dispatched 12 NDRF and SDRF teams for rescue operations. The Indian Army Rohtang tunnel was temporarily closed following concerns of debris flow. The state government set up 15 relief camps and arranged for helicopter evacuations for critically stranded individuals. IMD issued a red alert for the state for the next 48 hours, predicting continued heavy to very heavy rainfall across all districts.
