ALBAWABA- At least 90 people have been killed and 34 others are missing in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh as relentless monsoon rains batter the region for a third consecutive week.
Officials also reported 129 injuries and extensive damage to infrastructure and essential services.
The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) confirmed that torrential rains over the past 20 days have caused widespread destruction, affecting homes, livestock shelters, government buildings, roads, water supply systems, and power lines.
The worst-hit area is Mandi district, located approximately 133 kilometers north of the state capital Shimla, which alone accounted for 20 deaths, most of them caused by sudden cloudbursts.
Rescue operations are ongoing, with emergency teams searching for the missing while residents face prolonged outages and displacement. Seventeen relief camps have been set up in Mandi district alone, currently sheltering 677 people.
As of Thursday morning, authorities reported that 204 roads remain blocked, 192 power transformers are out of service, and 740 water supply schemes are disrupted across the state.
The estimated cost of damage has already reached $86.2 million, according to the SEOC.
Officials have warned that continued rainfall may further hamper rescue efforts and increase the risk of landslides and flash floods in the hilly terrain.
