Himachal: Dog sounds alarm, saves 67 from being crushed by landslide
Shortly after the people left their homes, the village was hit by a massive landslide, which flattened nearly a dozen houses
In a gripping tale of survival from flood- and landslide-ravaged Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh, a village dog’s persistent barking saved 67 lives from certain death about a week ago.
The incident reportedly occurred in Siyathi village, nestled in the Dharampur area of Mandi district, on June 30 as torrential rains continued to wreak havoc across the state.
Also Read: Himachal rains: Cloudbursts in Mandi, Chamba; woman swept away in Hamirpur
Warning bark
Between midnight and 1 am on June 30, the dog, sleeping on the second floor of a villager's house, began barking frantically.
"I woke up from the barking," the man mentioned only by his first name, Narendra, told NDTV. "As I went to check what was bothering him, I saw a big crack in the wall of the house through which water had already started to enter. I ran downstairs with the dog and woke everyone up."
Narendra then rushed to alert other villagers, urging them to flee. The urgency of the situation meant that the villagers had to leave behind all their possessions in a desperate bid for safety.
Houses flattened
Shortly after the people left their homes, the village was hit by a massive landslide, flattening nearly a dozen houses and sparing only about four or five structures.
The villagers have now reportedly taken shelter in the Naina Devi temple in the nearby Triyambala village, where they have been residing for over a week.
Also Read: Rs 560 cr and 47 lives lost, Himachal in for more rain; red alert in 3 districts
Rising trauma
Many villagers are reportedly struggling with high blood pressure and signs of depression following the trauma.
People of other villages have come forward and extended help, and the government has reportedly provided Rs 10,000 as aid per affected family.
Himachal Pradesh has been in the grip of relentless monsoon fury since June 20, suffering landslides, flash floods, and cloudbursts.
Also Read: Himachal: 260 roads closed; rain red alert for 3 districts on July 6
State-wide devastation
According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), 78 people have reportedly lost their lives — 50 due to rain-related disasters like landslides, flash floods, and cloudbursts, and 28 in road accidents.
Mandi district remains one of the hardest hit. As of now, 280 roads are non-operational across the state, including 156 in Mandi alone. The India Meteorological Department has issued a fresh flash flood alert across 10 districts.
In total, the state has witnessed 23 flash floods, 19 cloudbursts, and 16 landslides so far this season.