Shimla Man Killed After Boulder Crushes Car on Rain-Hit Highway, Family Injured
A tragic accident on the Shimla-Ghagas Highway claimed the life of a 63-year-old Shimla resident on Tuesday afternoon when a massive boulder crashed onto his car near Bharari Ghat amid ongoing monsoon-related disruptions in the region.
The victim, Anil Bakhi, was travelling to Shimla with his wife and son when the boulder struck their vehicle. Both his wife and son sustained injuries in the accident and were rushed to Arki Hospital for treatment. Doctors declared Bakhi dead on arrival.
The incident has once again raised concerns over the condition of the Ghagas-Shimla highway, where road-widening work is underway. Several stretches of the road have become vulnerable due to excavation and unstable hill slopes, especially during the rainy season.
Heavy rainfall over the past several days has caused widespread disruption across Himachal Pradesh. Landslides and damaged road infrastructure have left around 260 roads blocked across the state. Mandi district remains the worst affected, with 112 roads closed, followed by Chamba with 42 and Kullu with 40 blocked roads.
Traffic movement on key routes, including the Kiratpur-Manali Highway and the Mandi-Pathankot Highway, also remained disrupted on Tuesday due to weather-related damage and landslides.
With rain continuing to lash many areas, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for heavy rainfall in Mandi, Kangra, Shimla, Hamirpur and Sirmaur districts over the next 24 hours. A yellow alert has also been sounded for isolated rainfall in Hamirpur, Kullu, Solan and Bilaspur districts.
Authorities have advised residents and travellers to remain cautious, particularly in landslide-prone areas, as the monsoon continues to pose risks across the hill state.
