In Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district, a 20-year-old woman named Tuneja Thakur demonstrated remarkable courage and resilience after surviving for five hours under landslide debris. The incident occurred amidst the heavy monsoon rains that have been lashing the region.
Tuneja was walking along a village path in the Bagsyad valley of the Seraj Assembly constituency on July 1 when a sudden landslide, triggered by relentless rainfall, swept her into a heap of mud and rubble. "For a moment, everything went dark. I couldn't breathe properly. But I kept telling myself I had to live," she recounted.
Trapped beneath the debris, Tuneja displayed extraordinary presence of mind. She began clawing through the mud, creating a breathing space and gradually digging her way out. Her determination to survive in the face of such adversity has been widely praised.
Unaware of her location, Tuneja's family and neighbors feared the worst. Local residents launched rescue efforts and were overwhelmed with relief when they found her alive, clawing her way out of the debris.
The news of Tuneja's survival has been met with widespread admiration, with many hailing her as an inspiration. Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri visited the disaster-hit region and met Tuneja, commending her unwavering spirit. Thakur saluted her courage, stating that she did not panic despite being trapped and saved herself with strength. Agnihotri echoed this sentiment, calling Tuneja an inspiration for every daughter of Himachal Pradesh and lauding her extraordinary spirit.
Tuneja's story emerges from a backdrop of widespread devastation in Himachal Pradesh. Since the onset of the monsoon on June 20, the state has been ravaged by heavy rains, flash floods, cloudbursts, and landslides. As of July 8, 2025, the death toll has climbed to 80, with 52 deaths attributed to rain-related incidents. Mandi district has been particularly hard-hit, reporting 17 rain-related deaths.
The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) reports that the rains have caused extensive damage to infrastructure, with public infrastructure losses exceeding ₹692 crore. The SDMA has confirmed 23 flash floods and 19 cloudburst incidents this year, alongside 16 landslides, causing significant disruption to communication across the hill districts.
In one instance, the quick thinking of a village dog in Mandi alerted 67 people to escape a landslide in time. Narendra, a resident of Siyathi village, recounted how the dog's barking and howling in the early hours of June 30 warned him of an impending landslide, allowing him to alert his neighbors and evacuate before the village was destroyed.
In another tragic incident in Mandi district, an 11-month-old girl survived a landslide that swept away her parents and grandmother. The family had gone out to divert rainwater from their home when the landslide struck. The baby was found asleep in the house the next morning, unaware of the tragedy. While the father's body was recovered, the mother and grandmother remain missing. The baby is now being cared for by her uncle, who has refused offers for adoption.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast continued heavy rainfall in several districts of Himachal Pradesh, raising concerns about further flooding and landslides. A yellow warning of heavy rain has been issued for the state until July 10. Residents are urged to stay alert and avoid vulnerable areas near rivers, steep slopes, and under-construction sites. The government is monitoring the situation and providing assistance to affected families, with multiple relief camps set up by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
