Himachal Pradesh rain highlights: 51 killed in rain-related incidents in hill state

Uttarakhand rain LIVE updates: State Disaster Response Force personnel have in swift action rescued 20 people trapped in the Ambagh area of Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh following heavy waterlogging in the area. SDRF also rescued six people including a pregnant woman from a house that was submerged due to the overflowing Song river in the Raiwala area of ​​the Dehradun district. The pregnant woman was shifted to a local hospital. Due to heavy rains in Uttarakhand since Sunday, normal life has been disrupted in Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pauri and Dehradun districts among other areas.

Uttarakhand rain LIVE updates: The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority has directed to temporarily stop the ongoing Char Dham Yatra till Tuesday as heavy rains continue to lash the north eastern state, officials said on Monday. In an order issued on Monday, the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority said, "Char Dham Yatra stopped temporarily on the 14th and 15th August following disruption in the movement of traffic due to landslides after heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand."

Himachal Pradesh LIVE updates: At least 29 people were killed in Himachal Pradesh, nine of them buried under the rubble of a temple and after another landslip in Shimla, as rains wreaked havoc in the state, triggering landslides that blocked key roads and brought down houses, officials said on Monday.

Up to 15 more people are feared trapped under the debris of the Shiv temple in Shimla's Summer Hill area. The shrine was crowded with devotees, offering prayers on an important day of the Sawan period.

"Monsoon trough is north of its normal position that's why there's rainfall in foothills of the Himalayas. As a result, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are witnessing heavy rainfall which will lessen from tomorrow onwards," says IMD scientist Naresh Kumar.

Himachal Pradesh LIVE updates: "There are confirmed four bodies and a possibility of two to three people buried inside the debris in the Summer Hill. Total 8 bodies have been taken out from the nearby areas of Shimla. I assume that we can't say about the death count considering the number of people buried. We are trying to save their lives," says Himachal CM Sukhvinder Sukhu.

Rain News LIVE: At least 24 people have been killed, nine of them in a temple collapse, and dozens more are feared missing after intense rains caused floods and landslides in India, officials said Monday.

Days of torrential downpours have washed away vehicles, demolished buildings and destroyed bridges in the northern states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

Flooding and landslides are common and cause widespread devastation during India's treacherous monsoon season, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity.

Both the hill states have witnessed incessant rain over the past 24 hours that led to landslides and building collapses.

• In Himachal Pradesh, over 21 people have died in rain related incidents till now, chief minsiter Sikhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Monday. Landslide in Shimla led to a temple collapse that killed nine people and sever still feared trapped. Rescue operation is under way.
• In Uttarakhand's Dehradun, a defence training academy building collapsed due to heavy rain on Monday. Rivers started over flowing in the state with Ganga water level raising to an ‘alarming level’ in Rishikesh.

The IMD said on Monday that the hill state of Uttarakhand has been receiving “intense rainfall” from Sunday and that the districts including Rishikesh, Dehradun, Pauri, Champawat, Tehri, Nanital and more recorded substantial rain.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has on Monday issued ‘orange alert’ for heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh and a flash flood warning has been issued in nine out of 12 districts except Una, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti.

The state has experienced heavy to extremely rainfall activity in 24 hours till Monday morning. Kangra got highest 273.4mm rainfall followed by 254mm in Sujanpur Tira of Hamirpur and 250mm in Dharamshala.

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the rescue team including SDRF, NDRF and Amry are at the spot where temple collapsed in Shimla are present. "I have cancelled my pre-scheduled event in Mandi. August 15 Independence Day program will go on as usual but our priority is to save lives," he said about Summer Hill area temple collapse.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Dehradun Centre had issued a red alert for Monday for extremely heavy rain at isolated places (over 204.4 mm rainfall ) and heavy to very heavy rainfall in some places of the state, accompanied by thunderstorms with lightning. 

Alaknanda River, Mandakini River and Ganga are flowing over the danger mark as of Monday morning due to heavy overnight rains.

Addressing media from the temple-collapse spot that killed at least nine people in Shimla, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that around 20 to 25 people still are still feared trapped under the debris. 

“I appeal to people to stay indoors, to not venture near rivers and landslide-prone areas. Restoration works will begin as soon as rain stops,” he said.

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhua addressed the media while taking the stock of the temple-collapse that occurred in Shimla on Monday. He said that the death toll due to incessant rain reached 21 and urged people to stay away from landslide prone areas and water bodies. 

Himachal Pradesh chief minsiter Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu along with the state minister Vikramaditya Singh reached the spot where a temple has collapsed earlier today in Shimla, killed at least nine people.

Nine people have been killed and several feared trapped after “Shiv Mandir”, a temple in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla collapsed ealrier on Monday due to the incessant rainfal being witnessed by the hill state. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu took to X (formerly Twitter) to express condolences over the deaths. 

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took stock of the situation over the phone from the district magitrates as heavy rains lash parts of the state. IMD predicted that a very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in Dehradun, Pauri, Tehri, Nainital, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar today.

Due to the incessant rainfal that Himachal Pradesh has been witnwessing, a temple collapsed due to a massive landslide in Shimla's Summer Hill earlier today, PTI reported. 

The report further said that several people are feared trapped under the debris and that more details are awaited.

Parts of Himachal Pradesh have received a significant amount of rainfall over the past 24 hours as of 8.30am on Monday. Check details:

Kangra : 273mm

Shapur (AWS) : 231mm

Mandi(aws) : 124.5mm

Shimla(aws): 108.5mm

Mandi : 138mm

Sundernagar:168mm

Amid incessant rainfall being witnessed by Himachal Pradesh, landslides have struck a temple in Shimla posing a threat to nearby buildings, ANI reported citing to superintendent of police, Shimla. Further details awaited.

A house has collapsed in Majhwad village which is 10 km away from Mandi district headquarters and some people are feared to be buried in the house, according to a DD News report. Rescue operation is underway and the work of clearing the debris has started.

Badrinath National Highway in Pipalkoti area in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district has been blocked due to debris triggered by a landslide, following intermittent rainfall, ANI reported. 

“Due to heavy debris falling from the mountain in Pipalkoti, many vehicles were buried under the debris and the roads have been closed,” ANI quoted Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana as saying.

Incessant rain in Himachal Pradesh has led to a waterlogging situation in the low-lying areas of Hamirpur in the state, with water entering houses and residents facing problems.

Himachal Pradesh is the worst-hit state due to the monsoon rains that the country has been experiencing over the past few days.