Himachal Pradesh monsoon toll climbs to 394; over $506 million losses reported
A tempo traveller stuck in the middle of the Manalsu drain due to continuous heavy rains, in Kullu on Sep 2, 2025. Photograph: (ANI)
Himachal monsoon horror: 394 dead, 2,000 cattle lost, 1,500 homes destroyed as landslides and floods batter state.
Himachal Pradesh recorded over 350 deaths as this year's monsoon battered the northern Indian state. The death toll of 394 deaths includes 221 fatalities in rain-related incidents like landslides, flash floods, drowning, and house collapses. Meanwhile, 173 lives were lost in road accidents, said the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) on Sunday (Sep 14).
Human and animal toll of natural disasters
The cumulative report from the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) shows landslides claimed 48 lives, flash floods 11, cloudbursts 17, and drowning incidents 38. Other causes included lightning, electrocution, snake bites, fires, and accidental falls in steep terrain.
At least 455 people have been injured, and 41 remain missing. The rains also led to livestock losses, with 2,086 cattle and nearly 27,000 poultry perishing in rain-related incidents.
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Property damage
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Damage to property has been extensive. According to SDMA figures, 1,576 houses were completely destroyed, while 29,041 sustained partial damage. Hundreds of shops, huts, and cow sheds were also hit — 544 shops, 859 cow sheds, 1,894 huts, and 4,058 cowsheds, ghats, and ghrats, reports ANI.
The financial toll is pegged at more than Rs 4,467 crore (over $506 million). The Public Works Department accounts for the largest losses (Rs 2,718 crore or around $308 million), followed by the Jal Shakti Vibhag (Rs 1,386 crore $157 million) and the Power Department (Rs 139 crore or $15.7 million).
Mandi, Kangra, Kullu, and Chamba districts reported the highest number of rain-related fatalities, while Chamba, Mandi, Shimla, and Solan topped in road accident deaths.
"The state has suffered widespread loss of lives, livestock, property and infrastructure this monsoon. Field teams are working on restoration, but recurring rainfall and landslides are slowing operations," an SDMA spokesperson said, urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel on vulnerable hilly roads.
