Shimla, Aug. 18 -- The ongoing monsoon has wreaked widespread havoc across Himachal Pradesh, claiming 263 lives since June 20, according to the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA).

Of the total fatalities, 136 were caused by rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, drowning, and electrocution. At the same time, 127 people lost their lives in separate road accidents, the report stated.

The torrential rains have also left a massive trail of destruction across the hill state. As per the cumulative report, more than 31,000 houses, shops, labour huts, cow sheds, and other structures have been damaged, including both fully and partially collapsed dwellings.

On the infrastructure front, d...