Shimla, Aug. 21 -- The monsoon fury in Himachal Pradesh has claimed 280 lives since June 20, with 145 deaths caused by rain-related disasters and 135 in road accidents, according to the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA).

The rain-related fatalities include deaths due to landslides (10), flash floods (9), cloudbursts (17), drowning (29), lightning (2), fires (13), electrocution (10), falls from steep terrain (30), and other incidents (25). Kangra district has reported the highest rain-related death toll at 29, followed by Mandi (26), Chamba (14), Kullu and Hamirpur (13 each), and Kinnaur (12).

In road accidents, Chamba tops the list with 21 deaths, followed by Mandi (22), Kangra (18), Shimla (15), Kinnaur (13)...