JCB working to remove heavy stones from a road in Mandi town (Left); A mud-filled road after flash floods near DAV School, Mandi (Right)Three people were killed and several others were injured in flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi town on Tuesday. A woman has been reported missing, and nearly two dozen houses have been partially destroyed in the resulting landslides, officials said.The flash floods struck the Lawandi Bridge, Jail Road, and Victoria Bridge areas in Mandi, damaging more than 20 vehicles, which were washed away along with mud, silt, and floodwater, officials added.“We have recovered three bodies—all male. An extensive search operation is underway to trace the missing woman. The victims were attempting to move their vehicles to safer locations when they were washed away along with their vehicles. One of the bodies was found stuck in an auto-rickshaw, which belonged to the victim,” Apoorva Devgan, Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, told The Indian Express.“Rescue teams have saved over a dozen people trapped inside their homes. The teams had to break windows and doors to rescue those surrounded and stranded in houses filled with mud, silt, and debris. The flash floods, triggered by the heavy rainfall, brought a significant amount of mud and silt down from the hills into the town,” Devgan added.According to reports, a major flash flood occurred above the public works department division office and the superintendent engineer’s office in Dharampur, crushing several vehicles. People trapped under the debris were rescued by breaking windows and escaping from buildings.According to information, National Highway 154, along the Mandi–Jogindernagar route, has been blocked near Lawandi Bridge due to a landslide, and the National Highways Authority of India has been notified. Additionally, National Highway 21, along the Mandi–Kullu route, has been closed at several points, including 4 Mile, 9 Mile (near Pandoh), and Dwara (near Aut), completely halting vehicular movement.Mandi Municipal Commissioner Rohit Rathore said that the heavy rainfall caused debris from the upper regions to flow down and accumulate in the lower parts of the town. “All officials are currently engaged in relief efforts. We have received reports of damage near Jail Road. Several people have died in this incident,” he said.Story continues below this adDue to the relentless rain, both major national highways in Mandi—Chandigarh–Manali and Pathankot–Mandi—have remained closed since Monday night.“Heavy landslides have occurred at multiple locations along the Chandigarh–Manali National Highway, including 4 Mile, 9 Mile, Dwara, Jhalogi, and other areas. Similarly, the Pathankot–Mandi highway has witnessed numerous landslides between Pathankot and Mandi. Rain continues to lash the district, significantly hampering relief operations. A landslide has also been reported near Victoria Bridge in Mandi town,” the District Disaster Management Authority in Mandi said in a statement.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Himachal Pradesh