Himachal red alert: schools shut in Kangra; flash flood hits Kinnaur

The weather office has issued a red warning for heavy to extremely heavy rain in four Himachal Pradesh districts, prompting officials to close schools and colleges in Kangra. A flash flood in Kinnaur district destroyed a bridge and blocked a strategic road near the Tibet border.

All government and private educational institutions in Kangra will stay closed July 20 and 21, District Magistrate Hem Raj Bairwa ordered late Sunday. The closure covers schools, colleges, vocational institutes, Anganwadi centres, creches, the Central University of Himachal Pradesh and the Sanskrit University at Balyahar. Examinations scheduled for those two days are postponed. Teaching and non-teaching staff are off duty, though the district administration can call them in for emergency or disaster management work.

The Met department's red warning covers Chamba, Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur for Monday and adds Kullu for Tuesday. Very heavy rain means 115.6 mm to 204.5 mm in a day; extremely heavy rain is anything above 204.5 mm.