Himachal flash floods trigger massive rescue efforts, search operation intensifies for missing persons
by Utsav RoyOfficials announced on Thursday, June 26, 2025, that search operations have been intensified to locate ten individuals reported missing following flash floods caused by cloudbursts in Kangra and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh.
Heavy rains on Wednesday evening, June 25, led to severe flooding, resulting in two confirmed fatalities, while around twenty people are feared to have been swept away by the rising waters. Some missing persons have since been rescued, although authorities have not disclosed the exact number.
In Kangra district, approximately 15 to 20 laborers working at a colony near the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric Project site are presumed missing after floodwaters surged in the Manuni Khad stream in Khaniyara. The flash floods claimed two lives at this location. Meanwhile, in Kullu district, three individuals from Rehla Bihal remain missing after being swept away while attempting to retrieve valuables from their homes during the deluge.
Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa, upon inspecting the area, said two State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams and a home guard unit are actively engaged in rescue efforts, with assistance from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Bairwa noted that at the hydroelectric project site, six individuals are believed to have been swept away, while one person reportedly fled to a nearby hill for safety and has yet to be found. Others have been rescued safely, he added, emphasizing that search and rescue remains the top priority.
The missing include residents from Nurpur and Chamba districts of Himachal Pradesh as well as Uttar Pradesh. BJP National President J.P. Nadda expressed condolences to families affected by the tragedy caused by sudden water surges in Manuni Khad. In a statement from Shimla, he assured that BJP workers are committed to supporting citizens of Devbhoomi during this crisis and offered prayers for the departed souls and strength for grieving families.
Dharamshala BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma, who visited the site on June 26, revealed the hydroelectric project is located about one kilometer from his village. He received urgent calls on June 25 about the flooding and people being swept away. Sharma criticized the authorities for negligence in continuing to house laborers near the drain instead of relocating them to safer areas as weather conditions worsened. He also raised serious concerns about the contractor and project officials’ failure to ensure worker safety, stating that the true extent of damage to lives and property is likely underreported. He claimed only the labor contractor can provide an accurate count of missing workers.
Officials reported that all other workers have been moved to safer locations. Approximately 250 to 275 laborers were employed at the project site before work was suspended due to rain. Those displaced have been temporarily sheltered at Ambedkar Bhawan in Khaniyara.
The floods originated when water from Manuni Khad and nearby drainage systems diverted toward the labor colony, causing destruction and washing several workers away. In Kullu’s Rehla Bihal area, searches continue for three individuals who disappeared while trying to save their belongings.
Three cloudburst events were recorded in Jeeva Nallah and Rehla Bihal (Sainj) and Shilagarh (Gadsa) within Kullu district. Deputy Commissioner Torul S. Ravesh confirmed that NDRF teams have joined rescue operations. She advised tourists to avoid low-lying areas and riverbeds during monsoon despite it being an annual season that can otherwise be enjoyed safely.
Flash floods also affected Manali and Banjar, with ongoing search and rescue operations. Banjar MLA Surinder Shauri, after visiting flood-hit regions, reported road blockages in Hornagad and disruptions in electricity and water supplies. He directed revenue officials to provide immediate relief to affected residents.