Himachal Monsoon Death Toll Rises To 256, Losses Cross Rs 1,202 Crore

Himachal Pradesh continues to grapple with the impact of this year's monsoon, with rain-related disasters and road accidents claiming 256 lives since June 30.

The state's cumulative financial losses have now crossed Rs 1,202 crore, according to figures released by the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) on Monday.

While 105 deaths were directly linked to natural disasters, road accidents accounted for another 151 fatalities during the period.

The disaster-related deaths included 33 people who fell from trees or steep rocks, 18 victims of landslides and 13 people who drowned.

Snake bites claimed 11 lives, while electrocution incidents resulted in another 10 deaths.

The human toll has been accompanied by significant damage to homes and public infrastructure.

The Public Works Department has suffered the biggest financial impact, with losses estimated at Rs 91,476.67 lakh.

The Jal Shakti Vibhag reported damage worth Rs 25,861.24 lakh, while losses to power utilities stood at Rs 530.61 lakh.

Private property damage was estimated at Rs 901.55 lakh.

The rainfall damaged 371 houses in total, including 69 that were completely destroyed and 302 that suffered partial damage. A further 391 cow sheds were affected.

Road connectivity remains a concern, with 76 roads still blocked across the state as of 5 pm Monday.

Mandi accounted for the largest share of these disruptions with 32 blocked roads, followed by Kullu with 16. No National Highway was blocked at the time of the update.

Power restoration has progressed considerably, with only five distribution transformers still non-functional. All five are located in Mandi's Gohar subdivision.

Water supply has also taken a hit, with 72 schemes remaining disrupted.

Hamirpur reported the highest number of affected schemes at 37, while Sirmaur had 24.

Among districts, Kangra and Shimla recorded the highest number of deaths caused by natural disasters, with 16 each. Sirmaur and Lahaul and Spiti followed with 14 fatalities apiece.

Shimla and Sirmaur also recorded the highest number of road accident deaths, with 19 each, followed by Chamba and Una with 18 each.

The latest SEOC figures also show that 455 people have been injured and three remain missing during the current monsoon season.