The death toll from flash floods caused by cloudbursts in three districts of Himachal Pradesh has risen to 13 after the recovery of four bodies from Mandi and Shimla districts on Sunday. Official data indicates that over 40 people remain missing following a series of cloudbursts in Kullu's Nirmand, Sainj, and Malana; Mandi's Padhar; and Shimla's Rampur subdivision on the night of July 31.

Rescue efforts have been ramped up with additional machinery, sniffer dog squads, drones, and other equipment, according to officials speaking to PTI.

Himachal Pradesh Weather Updates

Since the monsoon began on June 27, Himachal Pradesh has suffered a loss of Rs 662 crore, with significant damage to infrastructure and other assets. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu highlighted the extensive destruction caused by the disaster, which has claimed lives and devastated infrastructure across the state.

Search operations continue, but locals report no electricity in the villages of Samej, Dhara Sarda, and Kushwa, located on the border of Shimla and Kullu, since the flash floods occurred on Wednesday night. Roads have also been severely damaged. PTI reported that 410 rescuers from the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Himachal Pradesh Police, and home guards are involved in the search.

Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, visited Samej village on Sunday to assess the situation and meet with affected residents. The state government announced an immediate relief package of Rs 50,000 for the victims and promised Rs 5,000 monthly for rent for the next three months, along with provisions for gas, food, and other essentials.

Currently, 87 roads are closed in Himachal Pradesh due to cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides. The local meteorological office has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain, thunderstorms, and lightning in isolated areas of the state until August 8. The MeT office also warned of potential landslides and flash floods in vulnerable areas, along with damage to plantations, standing crops, vulnerable structures, and 'kutcha' houses due to strong winds and waterlogging in low-lying regions.

In addition, 41 transformers and 66 water supply schemes have been disrupted. Hamirpur recorded the highest rainfall at 54 mm since Friday evening, followed by Berthin and Dharamshala with 19 mm each, Neri with 11 mm, Kangra with 9.7 mm, Kukumseri with 9.6 mm, Sundernagar with 8.1 mm, Manali and Chamba with 6 mm each, and Bajaura with 5 mm. Kukumseri in Lahaul and Spiti was the coldest at night, recording a low of 12.1 degrees Celsius, while Una was the hottest during the day at 36.8 degrees Celsius.