Munish Sood
Mandi: Heavy rain late Monday (September 15, 2025) night unleashed widespread devastation in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, with a cloudburst hitting Dharampur town and its market bearing the brunt. One person is reportedly dead while several others are learnt to be missing.
The Son Khud, which flows through the town, turned into a raging rivulet, inundating the bus stand, sweeping away vehicles and forcing residents to flee their homes in panic.
Bus stand under water, vehicles swept away
The cloudburst struck around 11 pm and intensified by 1 am, catching residents off guard. Within minutes, the Dharampur bus stand was under several feet of water. State transport buses parked there were submerged, while some were carried away by the strong current.
Several houses and shops along the banks were flooded, and private vehicles, including cars, scooters and motorcycles, were washed downstream.
Residents take shelter on rooftops
As water rushed into homes, people clambered to upper floors and rooftops for safety. A hostel accommodating nearly 150 children was also hit by floodwaters, forcing the students to seek refuge on the second and third floors. The entire marketplace was left strewn with debris, furniture, and belongings carried by the furious current.
The rising waters submerged the entire Dharampur bus stand, leaving more than 20 HRTC buses and several private vehicles trapped under water. Residents described scenes of chaos as floodwaters surged nearly 10 feet high, inundating homes, shops, and streets. Families spent the night in darkness, bracing against the relentless flow.
Amid the devastation, lives were lost. A local chemist, Narender Kumar, was swept away along with his car while attempting to retrieve cash from his shop. Police have confirmed his death. Another person is also reported missing.
Dharampur BJP leader Rajat Thakur has claimed as many as six persons are unaccounted for, though officials are yet to confirm this number. Even vehicles parked outside the local police station could not withstand the sudden force of the floodwaters.
The commercial hub of Dharampur bore the brunt of the disaster. Entire rows of shops were submerged, leaving goods destroyed and traders staring at heavy losses. Residents reported that the ground floors of many houses were completely flooded, forcing families to move to higher ground.
Swift rescue efforts, one missing
Dharampur DSP Sanjeev Sood said the police and rescue teams were on the ground through the night, evacuating people from danger zones. Numerous houses and shops have sustained heavy damage and several vehicles were swept away. By morning, the Son Khud’s water level began receding, but teams of police and administration officials continued to assess the situation and clear the debris.
