Falling boulder kills woman in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi as torrential rain strikes

AAdult female missed her lifetime after existence strike by a boulder near Aut in Mandi district as torrential rain lashed several parts of Himachal Pradesh, including Shimla, Manali and Dharamshala, leading to multiple road closures, rising river waters and electricity disruptions, officials said on Wednesday.Sukhbir Kaur (38), a resident of Nalagarh in Solan district, was heading to Manikaran with her family when a falling boulder hit her as she stepped out of the car on the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway near Aut, killing her on the spot.Police have shifted the body to a nearby hospital for post-mortem, the officials said.Also Read I Ram Temple donation irregularities: SIT gets 15-day extension as probe expandsThe incessant rain created flood-like situations at Lanot and Phagdog villages in Chamba district, where falling debris from a mountain entered two houses, causing severe damages, including cracks on the walls.Acting SDM and Tehsildar Abhiray Singh Thakur said instructions have been issued to the officials concerned to inspect the site and provide assistance to the affected families.The southwest monsoon, which arrived in Himachal on Tuesday, covered the entire state by Wednesday, the weather office in Shimla said, as it issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places from July 2-6, except for July 4.Government and private schools that had closed because of heat reopened on Wednesday, but attendance was thin given the heavy rain.According to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), 28 roads were closed in Mandi, 12 in Kullu, and two each in Lahaul-Spiti and Una districts.Heavy rain was recorded in several parts of the state since Tuesday evening.Also Read I Dentist who mocked Ketan Agarwal's death suspended for 5 years by dental bodyNagrota Suriyan in Kangra district recorded the highest rainfall at 102.5 mm, followed by Ghamroor (95.2 mm), Guler (87.2 mm), Palampur (74.4 mm), Saloni (68.2 mm), Jogindarnagar (48 mm), Kahu (44.5 mm), Dehra Gopipur (38.3 mm), Berthin (37.4 mm) and Sujanpur Tira (36 mm), the officials said.Rain also lashed the popular towns of Shimla, Manali and Dharamshala, while thunderstorms and lightning were reported from Kufri, Palampur, Kangra, Sundernagar, Jubberhatti and Bhuntar.The Shimla-Mataur National Highway was closed for vehicular traffic following a landslide, with police issuing details of the alternative routes for commuters to Shimla, Mandi, Bilaspur and Hamirpur.According to police, vehicles heading from Bilaspur and Hamirpur to Shimla can reach their destination via Ghumarwin, Jukhala, Jabal Bridge, Ranikotla, Kharsi and Waidmod, while those travelling from Shimla to Mandi can take the route via Waidmod, Navgaon, Kharsi, Ranikotla and Bairi.The Chamba-Tissa main road was also blocked near the Pangola Nallah due to a landslide triggered by heavy rain, the officials said.Also Read I Where is monsoon and when is it coming to Delhi? IMD shares status | Check forecastWater levels in several rivers and their tributaries rose. The Swan river in Una district was flowing in full spate, prompting authorities to advise people against venturing close to it, they said.According to SEOC data, 128 people died in Himachal due to drowning, lightning strikes, snake bite and electrocution in the pre-monsoon period from March 1 to June 30, with the state suffering losses to the tune of ₹2,984 lakh.