Himachal Pradesh cloudbursts: Over 400 pilgrims rescued from Kinnaur Kailash trek after cloudbursts wash away bridges
Over 400 pilgrims have been rescued from the Kinnaur Kailash trek in Himachal Pradesh after flash floods and landslides caused by cloudbursts washed away two makeshift bridges on the trek route, stranding several tourists,
Cloudburst in Tangling, Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday led to flood-like conditions. A horrific video of the incident has surfaced, in which a flood of rocks and debris from the mountain was seen falling on the road below.
Incidents of cloudbursts and heavy rains were reported in Kinnaur. A bridge over the Tangling drain was washed away. As per the report, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) led the rescue operations. Some pilgrims were rescued via zipline.
The sudden flood washed away two bridges on the Kailash Yatra route. The rest of the route was also badly damaged, due to which the yatra has been stopped.
National Highway-5 closed
A cloudburst also occurred in the Raldang ravine near Ribba village in Kinnaur. This has also closed National Highway-5. Mud and large stones have accumulated on about 150 meters of the highway. However, there is no report of any casualty in the accident.
Earlier on Tuesday night, a landslide also occurred on the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway. More than 500 roads in the state are closed due to falling of large rocks on the roads. Schools have been closed in Shimla, Mandi, Solan and Kullu districts.
Himachal Pradesh has 194 deaths and a cumulative loss of over Rs 1.85 lakh (1,85,251.98 lakh) during the monsoon season, between June 20 and August 5 this year, according to a report by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
According to the report, "Cumulative Statement Showing Damage During Monsoon Season-2025," 108 deaths are directly related to rain-triggered incidents like flash floods, landslides and cloudburst.
Earlier, cloudburst in Dharali village of Uttarakhand on Tuesday caused massive destruction. 4 people died in this, while more than 100 people are missing. Badrinath National Highway was closed due to landslide in Karnaprayag. Railway operations have come to a halt due to rock falling on Haridwar-Dehradun rail.