Shimla, Sept. 20 -- The 2025 monsoon season, now on the verge of withdrawal, has etched a devastating chapter in the history of Himachal Pradesh, inflicting an unprecedented level of destruction that has shattered records standing since 1907.
The human cost is the most tragic element of this catastrophe, with a staggering loss of life. Preliminary data confirms 611 fatalities, a number that includes 427 deaths directly from disaster-related incidents and a further 184 lives lost in monsoon-triggered road accidents.
Beyond the lives lost, 481 individuals were injured and 88 remain missing, leaving families and communities across the state in a state of profound grief and uncertainty.
The tragedy extended deeply into the agrarian backbone ...