A five-storey residential building collapsed early Monday morning in Bhattakufar, Shimla, following continuous heavy rainfall triggered by an active monsoon across Himachal Pradesh. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, as the structure had been evacuated the night before.
The timely evacuation came after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for several parts of the state, including Shimla. Cracks in the building were noticed earlier, reportedly caused by nearby four-lane highway construction, prompting authorities and residents to take precautionary action.
A video shared by DD News Himachal on platform ‘X’ shows the building initially standing upright while rain pours in the background. Suddenly, the widening crack leads to the entire building collapsing dramatically, underscoring the severe impact of monsoon-related structural vulnerabilities.
In a separate incident in Kullu district’s Sainj valley, visuals also showed homes damaged due to flash floods caused by cloudbursts. Officials have urged residents in vulnerable areas to remain alert and follow evacuation advisories.
With the monsoon now active across India, Himachal Pradesh remains on high alert as authorities monitor landslide-prone and flood-sensitive zones.
Three people died in rain-linked incidents in the past 24 hours, taking the monsoon-related death toll in Himachal Pradesh to 20.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) cited by news agency PTI, one person each drowned in Una and Bilaspur, while another died after falling from a height in Shimla district.
Rain-related incidents have led to the closure of 129 roads across the state. Sirmaur (57 roads) and Mandi (44 roads) reported the maximum damage. Power supply was also hit, with 612 transformers disrupted.
Since the start of the monsoon on June 20, 20 people have died in the state, and four are missing, as per SEOC data.
In 2023, the state saw over 550 deaths in the worst monsoon season in its history.
