5 Killed, NDRF Deployed In Kullu, Dharamshala After Cloudbursts Trigger Flash Floods In Himachal

Last Updated:June 26, 2025, 15:02 IST

The flash floods triggered by cloudbursts have also damaged around 15 houses and two national highways. 

A damaged vehicle after being swept away in flash floods due to cloudbursts, in Kullu (PTI)

Himachal Floods: At least five people have been killed, while over 10 people were reported missing after cloudbursts led to flash floods in parts of Himachal Pradesh, the officials said.

Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukkhu has said that there have been cloudbursts at three locations and flash floods at nine locations in the state. He said that there is confirmation of five deaths. In Kullu, two people are missing, while in Kangra, three people have died due to a cloudburst and five people are missing; one person stranded in a forest area is being rescued.

3 Bodies Found In Dharamshala

At least three bodies have been found and five people are still missing after the water level in the Manuni Khad river near Dharamshala rose sharply in Kangra district on Wednesday. The workers were part of the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric Project underway in the area.

As rescue operations continued, Dharamshala MLA Sudhir Sharma shared his concerns on social media. He stated that around 15–20 workers could have been swept away in the incident and expressed his condolences to the affected families. “Perhaps I have never seen such a heart-wrenching incident before," he said.

SDM Dharamshala, Mohit Ratna, confirmed that the rescue operation was in full swing and that one body had already been sent to Dharamshala Hospital for post-mortem.

The flash floods triggered by cloudbursts have also damaged around 15 houses and two national highways.

Meanwhile, CM Sukkhu has urged the citizens and tourists to stay away from the rivers and streams and avoid attempting any adventure sports. He said that the water level in the rivers increases during the rainy season, so it is not advisable to venture into rivers and risk lives.

NDRF Deployed In Kullu, Dharamshala

The flash floods also wreaked havoc in Kullu, sweeping away three people, vehicles, and damaging several houses and a school building, officials said.

A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was deployed in Kullu on Thursday following a cloudburst in the Sainj Valley.

NDRF Inspector Deepak Bisht stated that three people had been missing due to the cloudburst and that the teams have been carrying out rescue operations.

“Our NDRF team has arrived here. We received information that three people are missing, and now we are assisting. Whatever happens in the area afterwards, we will find out based on the information we get," Bisht told news agency ANI.

As many as three cloudburst incidents were reported from Jeeva Nallah and Rehla Bihal in Sainj and Shilagarh in the Gadsa area of the district. During the incident, three people who attempted to take valuables from their homes to safety were washed away and are currently missing, they added.

According to Kullu Additional District Commissioner (ADC) Ashwani Kumar, flash floods also occurred in Manali and Banjar in the district. Search and rescue teams were on the spot, and operations were being carried out.

There were also reports of a sudden flood in the Brahma Ganga drain in Manikaran valley. The water has reached several houses and could cause damage if it doesn’t go down soon.

The water levels of the Beas and Sutlej rivers have gone up. Meanwhile, police in Lahaul and Spiti said the road from Kaza to Samdoh is blocked in several spots due to landslides, falling rocks, and overflowing drains.

Local Shares Ordeal

Anmol, a local resident, stated that four houses had been washed away due to the cloudburst, adding that water pressure in Kullu had increased significantly and the one megawatt National Hydroelectric Power project had also shut down.

“There is a waterfall above the last house. Behind it, a cloud burst happened. Soon, three men and four houses were washed away along with the cloud. The water pressure then increased significantly. This one-megawatt project is now completely shut down and submerged. This NHPC project is fully shut down and closed," Anmol told the news agency.

According to a situation report issued by the HP State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Shimla, at 5:10 PM on Wednesday, two to three people were feared missing after being swept into the Jeeva Nallah.

The incident occurred at approximately 1:41 PM on June 25, downstream of Jiwa Trench Weir in Majhan Nallah, located in the Sainj Valley. The District Emergency Operation Centre (DEOC), Kullu, confirmed the event and reported a potential sharp rise in the water level of the Sainj River due to increased inflow caused by the cloudburst.

(With inputs from agencies)

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...

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Shimla, India, India

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News india 5 Killed, NDRF Deployed In Kullu, Dharamshala After Cloudbursts Trigger Flash Floods In Himachal