Himachal Pradesh rains: Death toll rises to 78; orange alert issued for next 2 days

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Also read: Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand reeling from devastating monsoon, massive damage and loss of life. 10 updates Since the onset of the monsoon season in Himachal Pradesh on June 24, 338 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents and road accidents, with 38 individuals still missing, according to the state's emergency operation centre. Of these, 221 people have perished directly due to rain-related incidents.

The damage assessment reveals that approximately 11,900 houses have been partially or completely damaged, around 560 roads remain closed, and 253 transformers and 107 water supply schemes have been disrupted. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, while surveying the flood-affected areas of Indora and Fatehpur assembly constituencies in Kangra district, estimated a loss of over ₹10,000 crore for Himachal Pradesh. He noted that the state has witnessed 350 casualties and 50 people are still missing.

Also read: Himachal Pradesh rains: Kullu admin releases list of blocked roads. Read here The local Meteorological (MeT) office has issued an orange warning for heavy to very heavy rains on August 20 and 21, and a yellow alert for heavy rains on August 22 and 23. The MeT has also cautioned of a moderate to high risk of flash floods in Shimla, Sirmaur, and Chamba districts.

Such heavy rainfall poses the threat of landslides, flash floods, and rising river levels, potentially damaging crops, fruit plants, and seedlings. To address the crisis, the Himachal Pradesh government has declared the state a "Natural Calamity Affected Area" due to the extensive damage caused by heavy rains, urging the central government to declare it a national disaster. This has been described as the most devastating natural