A devastating landslide in the Sundernagar area of Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, has claimed the lives of at least six people. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening around 6 p.m. and buried two houses under debris. Rescue operations are underway, with the Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) working to locate those still missing.

Mandi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Apoorv Devgan reported that the landslide affected two houses. In one house, four people were trapped; rescue teams recovered two individuals, a woman and a child, who later died in the hospital. One body was recovered from the second house. As of Wednesday, rescue teams are searching for two missing people from the first house and one person who was in a car that was caught in the landslide. According to Sundernagar MLA Rakesh Jamwal, an SUV was passing by the site when the landslide occurred, and the vehicle and its driver are missing.

The recent tragedy in Mandi is part of a larger pattern of destruction caused by heavy rainfall and landslides in Himachal Pradesh. Across the state, inclement weather has triggered flash floods and landslides, blocking numerous highways and disrupting normal life. As of Tuesday, the death toll from this monsoon season has reached 344.

In addition to the fatalities in Mandi, a woman and her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter died after a landslide struck their house in Jangam Bagh, Sundernagar. In Kullu, a woman died after a landslide hit her house in Dhalpur town, and in Solan, another woman died after her house collapsed in Samloh village.

The severe weather has also led to the closure of educational institutions throughout the state. The Kullu administration has ordered schools to remain closed on Wednesday and Thursday, with teachers instructed to conduct online classes. However, patchy internet connectivity is posing a challenge to online learning.

The Chandigarh-Manali highway is blocked at multiple points due to landslides and shooting stones. As of Tuesday, 1,334 roads were blocked across the state, with Mandi district having the highest number of blocked roads at 281. Power and water supply have also been disrupted in many areas.

The Beas River and other rivers and rivulets are in spate, causing damage to infrastructure and residential areas. The Beas River has damaged highway restoration work between Kullu and Manali and flooded the highway at Dwara bridge near Pandoh in Mandi. A flash flood in Bashona Nullah flooded the highway, causing water and debris to enter residential areas due to inadequate drainage.

The state government and disaster management authorities are working to restore connectivity, provide relief to affected communities, and continue search and rescue operations. The focus remains on locating the missing individuals and ensuring the safety of residents in vulnerable areas.