Shimla, Aug. 24 -- A total of 298 people have lost their lives across Himachal Pradesh since the onset of the monsoon on June 20, the State Disaster Management Authority said on Sunday.

According to a report by SDMA, of these 298 deaths, 152 were rain-related, caused by landslides, flash floods, house collapses, and other weather-triggered incidents. At the same time, 146 fatalities were in road accidents, many linked to slippery conditions and damaged roads.

Heavy monsoon rains have left Himachal Pradesh grappling with severe infrastructure damage, with 400 roads, including two national highways (NH-03 and NH-305), blocked, 208 electricity distribution transformers disrupted, and 51 water supply schemes out of service, according to the...