Rain continues to wreak havoc in Himachal Pradesh where landslides have claimed four more lives and over 200 people remain stranded. Videos of cars getting washed away, inundated roads, submerged fields, and water gushing into residential areas have been painting a terrifying picture..

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with senior ministers and officials to take stock of the situation in the wake of excessive rainfall in parts of the country, his office said. Local administrations, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are working to ensure the well-being of those affected, the Prime Minister's Office said.

Landslides have claimed four more lives in Shimla and the Shimla-Kalka highway was blocked on Monday morning, police said. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said 16 or 17 people were killed in rain-related incidents in the state in the last two days.

Vehicles being swept away during flash floods amid heavy monsoon rainfall at Parwanoo, in Himachal's Solan district. (Photo: PTI)

Twenty people stranded in Manali were rescued but about 300 others were stuck in various parts of the hill state, officials said. Three people died after a landslide struck a house in Pallavi village, in the Theog subdivision of Shimla, on Monday morning.

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh: Mandi's Panchvaktra temple has been submerged in water due to a spate in the Beas river following incessant heavy rainfall. pic.twitter.com/sk7wjpbnah

— ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2023

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a "red" alert for "extremely heavy rain". Officials said rail operations on the Shimla-Kalka route, a UNESCO world heritage site, have been suspended till Tuesday as landslides blocked the track at several places, while educational institutions across the state were ordered to remain shut on Monday and Tuesday.

The Shimla-Kalka National Highway was blocked near Shoghi, about 16 km from Shimla, following a landslide on Monday. More than 120 roads are blocked in the district while 484 water supply schemes have been affected, officials said.

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh: Latest visuals from Mandi around Victoria Bridge and Panchvakhtra Temple. pic.twitter.com/1jnhmTr8V6

— ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2023

Sukhu appealed to the people to avoid venturing out in heavy rains, especially near rivers and canals, and remain vigilant for the next 24 hours in light of the IMD's warning.

— With inputs from PTI