Shimla, Aug. 22 -- Heavy monsoon rains continued to batter Himachal Pradesh, disrupting key public utilities across the state. According to the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA), as of Thursday evening.

Three hundred forty-six roads, including one national highway (NH-305), remained blocked, while 281 distribution transformers were out of service, cutting power to several areas. A total of 145 water supply schemes were also disrupted due to landslides, flash floods, and heavy rainfall.

The monsoon toll since June 20 has climbed to 287 deaths, of which 149 people died in rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, and drowning, and 138 lost their lives in road accidents, the HPSDMA said.

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