Shimla, Sept. 18 -- The monsoon fury continues to batter Himachal Pradesh, with 604 roads, including two National Highways, blocked across the state, while 228 distribution transformers and 221 water supply schemes remained disrupted, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said on Thursday evening.

According to the cumulative loss report released by the SDMA, the overall death toll from June 20 to September 17 has climbed to 424. Of these, 242 people died in rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods and drowning, while 182 fatalities were caused by road accidents triggered during the season.

The hill state's fragile road network has taken the heaviest hit, with major blockages reported in Mandi (198), Kullu (202), ...