Over 200 roads shut in Himachal as Sangla Valley bridge collapses; Kinnaur cut off amid heavy monsoon rains
Babushahi Bureau
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh), July 11, 2026: Heavy monsoon rains continue to wreak havoc across Himachal Pradesh, with more than 200 major and connecting roads rendered inaccessible due to widespread landslides. The worst-hit area is Kinnaur district, where the collapse of the Sangla Valley Bridge has completely cut off the Sangla Valley from the rest of the state.
The bridge, located in Sangla under Kalpa subdivision, was left hanging after a massive landslide on Friday before collapsing completely late Friday night. The incident has severed the region's road connectivity, prompting the district administration to intensify relief and restoration efforts.
The relentless rainfall has also caused extensive damage in the state capital, Shimla. In the Rajhana area under Kasumpti police station limits, large boulders and debris tumbled onto a road, crushing two parked vehicles. No casualties were reported.
Another major landslide occurred around 4 a.m. on Saturday near Sanjauli College in the Bothwell area, where a section of the road gave way and collapsed onto residential buildings below. Local residents alleged that indiscriminate hill cutting for private construction had weakened the slope. As a precaution, authorities have directed residents to immediately evacuate three to four buildings considered vulnerable.
According to rainfall data, Nahan in Sirmaur district recorded the highest rainfall at 158.9 mm, followed by Solan with 80.2 mm and Narkanda in Shimla district with 54.5 mm.
Rising water levels in the Ganvi Khad in Rampur subdivision have disrupted connectivity between the Jagori, Kayao and Koot panchayats, forcing residents to undertake risky travel.
Meanwhile, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has announced that it will release an additional 50 cusecs of water from the Pulga Dam of the Parvati-II Hydroelectric Project in Kullu district on Saturday evening. The move will increase the total flow in the Parvati River to 225 cusecs, and residents living along the riverbanks have been advised to remain alert.
The Meteorological Centre, Shimla, has issued a Yellow Alert for heavy rainfall across the state until July 14, with warnings of intense rainfall in Shimla, Chamba, Kullu and Sirmaur districts over the coming days.