Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district was hit by two earthquakes early Wednesday, compounding the state’s ongoing monsoon misery.
According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the first tremor, measuring 3.3 on the Richter scale, struck at 3:27 am at a depth of 20 kilometres, with its epicentre in Chamba. Just over an hour later, at 4:39 am, a second, stronger quake of magnitude 4.0 was recorded at a depth of 10 kilometres, also in Chamba.
Even as seismic jolts rattled the region, heavy monsoon damage continued across Himachal. In Kullu district, a cloudburst in the Lagghati area wreaked havoc, damaging infrastructure and property. Deputy Commissioner Torul S. Ravish reported that the road near Bhootnath Bridge was damaged, the Hanumani Bag bridge was washed away, and a cremation ground suffered heavy destruction. Two shops and two vegetable stalls were also damaged, along with one house and the Ropdi Bhutthi Bridge. “All departments are assessing the damage,” she said.
According to the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA), 276 people have died since June 20 in rain-related incidents and road accidents. This includes 143 deaths from landslides, flash floods, and cloudbursts, and 133 fatalities from accidents triggered by unsafe road conditions.
The monsoon’s toll has also been severe on infrastructure and livelihoods. The state has suffered an estimated economic loss of Rs 2,21,000 lakh, with more than 1,100 houses completely destroyed and 27,552 livestock and poultry lost.