Pet Dog’s Timely Howl Saves Over 60 Lives in Himachal’s Mandi Amid Flash Floods and Landslides

Himachal Pradesh: A pet dog’s instinct and timely warning helped save more than 60 residents of Siyathi village in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district on the night of June 30, as a series of cloudbursts unleashed devastating flash floods and a landslide across the region.

According to villagers, the dog, which was sleeping on the second floor of a multi-storey house, began barking and howling loudly during heavy rainfall. The persistent noise alerted the dog’s owner, Narender, who then discovered a large crack in the wall with water seeping through. Recognizing the imminent danger, Narender immediately raised an alarm.

Prompted by the warning, over 60 villagers managed to escape to safety just minutes before the landslide struck, PTI reported, quoting a local resident.
Despite the timely evacuation, the disaster claimed 15 lives, left five people injured, and 27 remain missing after ten cloudbursts triggered flash floods and a landslide between June 30 and July 1 in Mandi district. Search and rescue operations are ongoing as authorities continue efforts to trace those swept away by the floods.

On Wednesday, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu visited several affected areas, including Bagsaid, Thunag, Thunadi, Lambathach, Jarol, Pandavshila, Kuthah, and the Janjheli area of Seraj assembly constituency, represented by Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur. The Chief Minister met with disaster-hit families and listened to their concerns.

Highlighting the need for rehabilitation, Sukhu stated, “The biggest help from the BJP members of Parliament would be to get special permission under Forest Clearance Act to the state for allotment of forest land for rehabilitation of disaster-hit families and the state government would consider allocating them such land,” adding that about 68 per cent of the total land in the state is forest land.

Himachal Pradesh currently has seven Members of Parliament (all from the BJP); four in the Lok Sabha and three in the Rajya Sabha. Sukhu also urged Mandi Lok Sabha MP Kangana Ranaut to raise the issue with the Union government and seek assistance for those affected by the disaster.

“I understand how difficult it is to build a house in Himachal Pradesh. That's why the state government will provide compensation of ?7 lakh for rebuilding your homes,” the Chief Minister assured.

As search operations continue, the villagers of Siyathi credit their survival to the vigilance of a loyal pet, whose howls were a life-saving warning in the face of nature’s fury.