Cloudburst in Lahaul-Spiti sweeps away bridges, orange alert issued for Himachal

A cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul-Spiti district triggered flash floods that swept away two bridges in the Mayad valley, forcing the evacuation of Karpat village residents and adding to the state’s mounting monsoon toll.

The bridges in Karpat, Changut and Udgos Nala were washed away late Tuesday, leaving residents of Karpat—who narrowly escaped the surge—shifted to safer locations. Lahaul-Spiti MLA Anuradha Rana said the deputy commissioner has been asked to close local schools as a precaution.

Heavy rains also unleashed a landslide on Khada Danda road, a key shortcut between Dharamshala and McLeodganj, cutting all vehicular movement since Tuesday evening. In Shimla, traffic on the Circular Road near Tolland was halted Wednesday morning after a tree fell, delaying buses until it was cleared.

The India Meteorological Department’s Shimla office has forecast heavy spells across parts of Himachal through August 19.

An orange alert for August 14 covers Chamba, Kangra and Mandi districts, with yellow alerts in several others over the following days.

In Mandi’s Seraj area, a 64-year-old man, Puran Chand, died after slipping from a temporary wooden bridge into a fast-flowing rivulet. Villagers pulled him out after he was swept about 100 metres downstream, but he was declared dead at Janjheli Hospital. Former chief minister and Seraj MLA Jai Ram Thakur expressed condolences.

The Public Works Department said 325 roads, including two national highways, remain blocked statewide—179 in Mandi district alone. NH-305 in Kullu remains closed at Jhed (Khanag) due to a landslide, while NH-505 in Lahaul-Spiti is shut between Lari and Stickling.

Since the monsoon began June 20, 241 people have died in Himachal, including 126 in rain-related incidents and 115 in road accidents. Over 2,000 houses have been damaged, and losses have reached ₹2,000 crore.