Sun Sep 07 14:57:14 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text, followed by a brief summary of the text itself:

**Summary of the Text:**

The text is a news report from *The Hindu* detailing the extensive damage and casualties caused by heavy monsoon rains, cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides in Himachal Pradesh, India, between June 20th and September 7th, 2025. The report outlines the financial losses, the number of deaths and missing persons, the damage to infrastructure (homes, roads, power and water supplies), and specific incidents like the situation on the Shimla-Theog road and the impact on the Manimahesh pilgrimage. It also mentions weather warnings and statistics on rainfall compared to the norm.

**News Article:**

**Himachal Pradesh Reels from Monsoon Fury: Hundreds Dead, Billions in Damage**

**Shimla, September 7, 2025** – Himachal Pradesh is grappling with the devastating aftermath of an intense monsoon season that has claimed hundreds of lives and caused an estimated ₹4,079 crore (approximately $510 million USD) in damage, according to state officials. Heavy rains, cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides have plagued the state since June 20th, leaving a trail of destruction and disrupting daily life.

As of Sunday, September 7th, authorities reported 366 fatalities related to the deluge, including 203 deaths directly attributed to rain-related incidents like landslides (42 deaths), cloudbursts (17 deaths), and flash floods (9 deaths). Forty-one people remain missing. Road accidents, exacerbated by the hazardous conditions, have accounted for 163 deaths.

The relentless rains have also wreaked havoc on infrastructure. Over 6,000 houses and hundreds of businesses have been damaged. Landslides are becoming increasingly frequent, with 135 major landslides, 95 flash floods, and 45 cloudbursts recorded since the monsoon’s onset. Key transportation routes are severely affected, with 869 roads blocked, including critical national highways like NH-3, NH-5, and NH-305. The Kullu region is the worst affected with 227 road closures. Additionally, over 1,500 power transformers and nearly 400 water supply schemes have been disrupted.

“We have been stranded here since Saturday evening,” said Bhur Sen, a fruit grower from Rohru, highlighting the plight of those affected by road closures. “Weather is bad and we are transporting apples to the markets but closure of roads is adding to the misery of growers,” said Bhur Sen from Rohru.

Search and rescue operations have concluded in certain areas, such as Bharmaur-Manimahesh in Chamba district, where 17 pilgrims have died since the Manimahesh Yatra began on August 15th.

The local meteorological department has issued yellow warnings for thunderstorms and lightning in isolated areas for the coming days. Rainfall in Himachal Pradesh has been 46% above normal between June 1st and September 6th, further straining the already stressed infrastructure.

Authorities are working to clear roads, restore essential services, and provide relief to those affected. The scale of the disaster, however, poses a significant challenge to the state.

**Key details:**

* **Date:** September 7, 2025
* **Location:** Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
* **Source:** *The Hindu*

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