• Source:JND
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Himachal Pradesh News: Four people died and another was seriously injured after their car fell into a deep gorge near Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district on Sunday. The incident occurred near Rahninala when the car, carrying five passengers, slipped off a rain-soaked road and plunged down the hillside.

According to Manali Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) KD Sharma, the accident took place amid ongoing heavy rainfall in the region. Rescue teams were quickly dispatched and efforts to recover the bodies and assist the injured are still underway. The identities of the victims are yet to be confirmed.

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Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed grief over the loss of lives, calling the incident "heart-wrenching." He said the local authorities have been directed to ensure the injured person receives proper medical care. “May God grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to their families. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” the chief minister said in a post on X.

The tragedy comes amid continuous heavy rainfall in the state, which has caused major disruption. Over 240 roads have been reported blocked due to landslides and waterlogging — with 176 roads closed in Mandi district alone, officials confirmed.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for July 6 in Kangra, Mandi, and Sirmaur, forecasting very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall. Several other districts including Kullu, Shimla, Una and Chamba are under an orange alert for possible heavy rain through July 8.

Flash flood risks have also been issued for parts of Shimla, Chamba, Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur, prompting the authorities to advise residents to stay away from rivers, streams and vulnerable locations.

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Mandi district continues to be one of the worst-hit regions. On July 1, multiple incidents of landslides and cloudbursts claimed 14 lives. Rescue and relief operations are ongoing in the area, with 31 people still missing, officials said.

Chief Minister Sukhu said food supplies are being delivered via mules to inaccessible villages like Thunag in Mandi. The state government is also offering rental aid of Rs 5,000 per month to those who lost homes in the disaster-hit Seraj constituency.

So far, the state has reported Rs 700 crore in estimated damages, with 74 total deaths since the monsoon began on June 20, out of which 47 are directly related to rain-triggered events.