The death toll from the recent cloudbursts and flash floods in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district has risen to 13, with two more bodies recovered on Thursday (July 3, 2025), officials said. Search operations are ongoing for 29 people still missing. The region experienced ten cloudbursts, three flash floods, and a landslide on Tuesday (July 1).

Officials reported that of the 13 recovered bodies, seven were found in Gohar, five in Thunag, and one in the Karsog subdivision. The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) stated that over 150 houses, 104 cattle sheds, 31 vehicles, 14 bridges, and several roads were damaged in the deluge. Additionally, 162 cattle perished, while 370 people, including 316 from Mandi, were rescued. Five relief camps have been established to assist affected residents.

Flooding in a drain near Solang Nallah led to the closure of the Manali-Keylong road, prompting traffic to be rerouted via the Rohtang Pass. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has deployed personnel and machinery to restore connectivity.

Across the state, 261 roads remain closed, including 186 in Mandi district alone. The recent heavy rains have also disrupted 599 electricity transformers and 797 water supply schemes, according to the SEOC.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur visited the disaster-hit areas on Wednesday (July 2). Mr. Sukhu assured displaced residents that available government land would be allocated to those who lost their homes. If the land falls under forest jurisdiction, he said the issue would be discussed with the Centre.

Mr. Thakur cautioned that the number of missing persons may increase and recommended that food supplies be air-dropped in areas cut off by road damage. Two teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with police and home guards, are actively involved in rescue operations.

Meanwhile, moderate to heavy rainfall continued across several parts of Himachal Pradesh. Since Wednesday evening, Pachhad in Sirmaur received 133.3 mm of rain, Mehra Barsar 92 mm, Jubbarhatti 59.4 mm, Jatton Barrage 56.6 mm, Una 55.2 mm, Baijnath 55 mm, Brahmani 42.2 mm, Baggi 37.5 mm, Murari Devi 34.6 mm, and Kangra 32.6 mm.

The meteorological department has issued an orange alert, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated areas across the state from July 5 to 9. It also warned of a low to moderate risk of flash floods in parts of Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur districts over the next 24 hours.