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Fifteen people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents across Himachal Pradesh from June 30 to July 26, as the southwest monsoon continued to trigger landslides, flash floods and widespread disruption across the hill state, according to official data released by the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA).
Official figures showed that landslides accounted for 14 of the 15 fatalities, including 13 deaths in Lahaul and Spiti district and one in Chamba district. One person died in a flash flood incident in Kangra district. Meanwhile, heavy rainfall continued to affect normal life across several districts, although authorities reported some improvement in road connectivity and electricity restoration. According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), 135 roads remained blocked across the state as of Sunday evening, down slightly from 140 roads reported blocked on Saturday. Kullu district continued to be the worst affected with 35 road closures, followed by Shimla with 32 and Mandi with 27. Power restoration teams also made progress during the day, bringing down the number of disrupted distribution transformers (DTRs) from 87 on Saturday to 44 by Sunday evening. However, damage to drinking water infrastructure increased. A total of 38 water supply schemes remained disrupted across the state, compared with 27 a day earlier. Hamirpur reported the highest number of affected schemes at 19, followed closely by Shimla with 18. District administrations, road maintenance agencies and disaster response teams remained engaged in clearing landslide debris, restoring essential services and monitoring vulnerable locations as intermittent rainfall continued across several parts of the state. Authorities have advised residents and travellers to remain cautious, particularly in landslide-prone and flood-sensitive areas, as monsoon activity is expected to persist over the coming days. (ANI)
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