Flash floods were also reported from Manali and Banjar.
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh: Search and rescue operations have been stepped up in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra and Kullu districts to locate at least 10 people still missing after flash floods triggered by multiple cloudbursts swept through parts of the region on Wednesday evening. Two deaths have been confirmed so far, and several others feared missing have since been rescued.
The most severe incident occurred in Kangra’s Khaniyara area, where a sudden surge in the Manuni Khad stream swept away 15–20 workers stationed at a labour colony near the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric Project. Two bodies have been recovered from the site, while rescue teams continue searching for others, including one individual last seen fleeing towards nearby hills to escape the rising waters.
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Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa, who visited the site, confirmed that two State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams and home guards are deployed in the area. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also been called in to bolster efforts. “Search and rescue is the top priority,” Bairwa said, adding that some of the missing persons hail from Nurpur and Chamba in Himachal, while others are from Uttar Pradesh.
Meanwhile, in Kullu district, three people remain missing after being washed away while trying to retrieve belongings from their homes in Rehla Bihal, Sainj, during the deluge. The area was one of several affected by cloudbursts, alongside Jeeva Nallah and Shilagarh in the Gadsa region.
Flash floods were also reported from Manali and Banjar.
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According to officials, the labourers at the hydroelectric project site had been resting in temporary shelters when floodwaters, fed by heavy rains and diverted drains, engulfed the colony. The project work had already been suspended due to the weather.
Dharamshala MLA Sudhir Sharma, who visited the affected site in Kangra, called for an investigation into the negligence of building labour shelters near a vulnerable watercourse and not evacuating them despite unsafe weather. “There should be accountability,” he said, also urging compensation for the families of the deceased.
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BJP national president J.P. Nadda expressed condolences and said all party workers in Himachal were committed to assisting citizens during the crisis. “I pray for strength to the bereaved families and peace for the departed souls,” he said.
As of Thursday, a dedicated team has been dispatched to trace the individual who was seen fleeing uphill during the flood, and officials continue to monitor the situation closely amid concerns of more rain.
