Wed Jul 02 01:20:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text about the heavy rainfall and related incidents in Himachal Pradesh:

**Headline: Torrential Rains Unleash Havoc in Himachal Pradesh: Flash Floods and Landslides Claim Lives, Disrupt Normal Life**

**Mandi, Himachal Pradesh:** At least five people are dead, five injured, and 16 remain missing after a cloudburst and subsequent flash floods struck the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday. The region has been battered by torrential rains, triggering multiple incidents of cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides, resulting in widespread disruption and damage.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), a total of 11 cloudbursts, four flash floods, and one major landslide were reported across the state on Tuesday, with the majority occurring in Mandi district. Mandi recorded a staggering 253.8 mm of rainfall on Monday alone.

The heavy downpour has crippled infrastructure, leaving 248 roads blocked in Mandi district alone out of a total of 406 blocked statewide. Nearly 1,000 electricity transformers have been disrupted, plunging areas into darkness. At least 24 houses and 12 animal shelters have been damaged, along with a bridge and numerous roads. Thirty livestock animals have been reported dead. Rescue efforts are underway to reach nine people stranded in Mandi district. Authorities have rescued 332 people in total, with 278 in Mandi, 51 in Hamirpur and three in Chamba.

Authorities reported cloudburst incidents at 11 different locations across Mandi district. The deceased included two in the Gohar area, one in Karasog and one in Jogindernagar.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are working in tandem with local police and Home Guards to conduct search and rescue operations.

As a precautionary measure, authorities were forced to release over 150,000 cusecs of water from the Pandoh Dam on the Beas River after the water level reached 2,922 feet against a danger mark of 2,941 feet.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu estimates that the state has already suffered losses amounting to ₹500 crore since the start of the monsoon season on June 20th. He expressed concern over the increasing frequency of cloudbursts in recent years.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning for Kangra, Solan and Sirmaur districts for Wednesday, and for Una, Hamirpur, Kangra, and Mandi districts on Saturday. A yellow alert for heavy rain has been issued for most of the hill state until July 5th.

In response to the situation, the Director General of Police (DGP) office has issued special instructions to district police to prioritize relief efforts, evacuation, maintaining high alert levels, securing relief camps, managing traffic, and monitoring social media for misinformation.

Central Minister Jitendra Singh acknowledged that while a robust weather forecasting system exists, predicting the precise scale of cloudbursts remains a challenge. He added that the number of automated weather stations is being increased to improve accuracy and region-specific weather forecasts will be available soon.

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