Heavy monsoon rains continued to batter several parts of India on Friday, triggering floods, landslides, waterlogging and widespread disruption across northern and western states. Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand were among the worst-affected as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued fresh alerts for heavy to very heavy rainfall over the coming days.

In Madhya Pradesh, the southwest monsoon has now covered the entire state within nine days. The IMD has forecast 4 to 8 inches of rainfall over the next 24 hours in Dhar, Barwani, Khargone and Dewas districts. In Ujjain, the rising water level of the Shipra (Kshipra) River submerged a temple near the famous Ram Ghat, with visuals showing water inundating the riverside shrine.

Meanwhile, Gujarat witnessed severe waterlogging after intense rainfall. Roads in Valsad district remained submerged, disrupting traffic and leaving several vehicles stranded. In Jamnagar, two children were swept away by strong floodwaters but were rescued safely by local residents before any major tragedy occurred.

In Himachal Pradesh, heavy overnight rain triggered a landslide in the Choling area of Kinnaur district. Massive debris rolled onto the national highway, burying two vehicles. State authorities said at least 49 roads have been closed following multiple rain-related incidents across the hill state, while restoration work is underway.

Heavy rain also affected Uttar Pradesh, where showers lashed Lucknow, Barabanki, Unnao, Jalaun and several neighbouring districts during the early hours of Friday. Water entered residential areas in parts of Unnao, disrupting normal life and causing inconvenience to residents.

In Rajasthan, intermittent rainfall continued for the second consecutive day. The IMD issued a red alert for Kota, Baran and Jhalawar districts, warning of extremely heavy rainfall and the possibility of flooding in low-lying areas.

The situation remained challenging in Uttarakhand, where continuous rainfall triggered landslides in Rudraprayag, Chamoli and nearby districts. Falling rocks and debris blocked stretches of the Badrinath and Kedarnath highways, prompting authorities to temporarily suspend the Kedarnath Yatra as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of pilgrims.

IMD Issues Fresh Rain Alerts

According to the IMD, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected on July 4 over Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Odisha, Kerala, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Sikkim.

Strong winds with speeds of 50–60 kmph are likely over Bihar, while gusty winds are also expected in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, eastern Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. Heatwave conditions may continue in isolated areas of eastern Uttar Pradesh despite ongoing monsoon activity.

On July 5, heavy rainfall is likely over Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha, with isolated heavy showers expected in Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Sikkim. The weather department has also issued an orange alert for Sikkim, Goa, Telangana and Karnataka.

Monsoon Nears Nationwide Coverage

The southwest monsoon, which reached Kerala on June 4, experienced a temporary slowdown during June due to break monsoon-like conditions. However, favourable weather systems over the Bay of Bengal have accelerated its progress.

According to the IMD, the monsoon is now expected to cover the entire country by July 5, three days ahead of its normal nationwide coverage date of July 8, bringing more widespread rainfall to the remaining parts of northwest India in the coming days.

A 19-year-old NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh was found dead in her paying guest room in the Mukhani area here late Tuesday night. The girl, identified as Anjali Jatav, allegedly died by suicide.

Anjali had arrived in Haldwani on May 30 this year to prepare for NEET at a private coaching institute. She was staying in a PG near Khatu Shyam Temple and was attending demo classes. Her regular classes were scheduled to begin from June 29.

Police said the room was locked from inside when they reached the spot following a call from her friend. An unidentified young man had informed the friend that Anjali was not picking up her phone. When no response came, the friend alerted others. The window grill had to be cut to enter the room, where Anjali was found hanging from a dupatta.

She was rushed to Sushila Tiwari Hospital, where doctors declared her dead. No suicide note was recovered, but police found a diary in which she had written, “Ek ko chhod diya hai, doosre ko nahi chhodungi.”

The cryptic line has left investigators looking for more answers. Anjali’s family has been informed and is expected to reach Haldwani on Thursday, after which the postmortem will be conducted.

Anjali hailed from Manpura Kolaras in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh. Her father Raghubeer Jatav sent her to Haldwani following the success of her elder brother, who cleared NEET from the same coaching centre and is currently studying at AIIMS Bhopal.

SP City Manoj Katiyal said the girl’s mobile phone has been seized. Police are examining her call records, social media activity and Google search history. Efforts are also on to trace the youth who called her friend late Tuesday night.

The case has been registered at Mukhani police station. No complaint has been filed by the family yet. Police are waiting for their arrival before taking further steps.

This incident has once again drawn attention to the immense pressure faced by students preparing for competitive exams away from home. Coming to a new city, living alone in PGs, and dealing with the uncertainty of entrance tests often takes a heavy toll on young minds. Many students from smaller towns and rural areas move to coaching hubs like Haldwani, Kota or Delhi with big dreams, but the isolation and academic stress can prove overwhelming.

Local residents and coaching institutes expressed shock over the incident. Anjali’s batchmates said she was attending demo classes and appeared normal in the initial days. No one had noticed any signs of distress, they claimed.

Uttarakhand has seen several cases of student suicides in recent years, particularly in education hubs like Haldwani and Dehradun. The state government has time and again appealed to coaching centres to keep a close watch on the mental health of outstation students and set up counselling facilities.

Police have appealed to anyone with information about Anjali’s last few days to come forward. The investigation is ongoing and further details are expected once the family arrives and the postmortem report is available.

The diary entry has added a layer of mystery to the case. Investigators are trying to understand who the “one” and “other” mentioned in the note refer to. Whether it points to personal issues, academic pressure or something else will only become clearer after detailed questioning and digital forensic examination.

For now, the bustling coaching town of Haldwani is once again grappling with the tragic loss of a young life. As the monsoon clouds gather over the hills, the news has left many students and parents uneasy.

Authorities said they will review security and counselling measures at PGs and coaching centres in the area to prevent such incidents in future.

Former India captain visits Lal Tibba to enrol Ziva for summer camp; brief interaction with fans draws crowd

Mahendra Singh Dhoni arrived in Mussoorie late Saturday evening, driving a Land Rover Defender reportedly worth around ₹3 crore, and was briefly mobbed by well-wishers while enrolling his daughter Ziva in a boarding school summer camp, officials and local witnesses said.

Arrival at Lal Tibba
According to hotel staff and locals, Dhoni reached a hotel in the Lal Tibba area after travelling from Dehradun in the afternoon. Security was low-key and the visit appeared private, but word spread quickly and a small crowd gathered outside the property within an hour.

Fans converge quickly
Witnesses said several people recognised Dhoni and asked for photographs and handshakes. “He got out of the car himself and helped with Ziva’s luggage,” a local who declined to be named told reporters. When some onlookers mistakenly chanted another player’s name, Dhoni laughed and acknowledged the crowd, according to the witness. A child who called out “Dhoni‑Dhoni” received a warm smile in response.

Purpose of visit
Sources familiar with the matter said Dhoni’s primary reason for visiting Mussoorie was to enrol Ziva in a boarding school’s seasonal programme and to accompany her for the first day. School officials confirmed a late‑evening admission on Saturday but declined to share details, citing privacy norms.

Scene on the ground
The car, identified by locals as a Land Rover Defender, drew attention—both for its appearance and the celebrity occupant. Several people used their phones to take pictures from a distance. Hotel employees said Dhoni spent little time in public spaces and moved quickly to the admissions office before returning to the hotel.

Local reaction and security
Local police confirmed there was no formal bandobast arranged for Dhoni’s visit and described the gathering as spontaneous. “A few people congregated, but the situation remained peaceful. We ensured passage for the vehicle and maintained a discreet presence,” a police officer at the Mussoorie station said on condition of anonymity.

Background: Dhoni’s recent travel
Dhoni visited Mussoorie previously on March 11, 2025, and has kept a low public profile since retiring from international cricket. The former India captain has been seen occasionally at family events and private outings, prompting local interest whenever he appears in hill towns and tourist hubs.

Public interest and tourism effect
Tourists and residents said celebrity sightings like Saturday’s offer a short-term boost to local footfall, with cafes and souvenir shops seeing a small spike in visitors in the immediate hours after news spread. “People lingered longer on the Mall Road, hoping to catch a glimpse,” a shopkeeper in the Lal Tibba area said.

Privacy and family focus
Those close to Dhoni have repeatedly emphasised his preference for private family time. Saturday’s visit appeared to follow that pattern: quick, purposeful, and primarily focused on his daughter’s enrolment. There was no sign of an extended public appearance or media briefing.

What’s next
Officials at the school said the summer programme will run for several weeks; sources indicated Ziva is expected to stay for the residential camp. Mussoorie authorities said they had not received advance notice of any further public engagements by Dhoni in the coming days.

A relentless wave of forest fires has swept through large parts of the western Himalayas, turning vast stretches of woodland into charred wasteland and pushing authorities into emergency mode across three states.

Kasauli Blaze Forces IAF Deployment

The situation in Himachal Pradesh reached a critical point when a major forest fire near Kasauli — a cantonment town in Solan district — burned through the night and into its second day, having first broken out on May 26. With flames threatening military installations and residential neighbourhoods, the Indian Air Force was brought in to assist overstretched ground teams.

Four Mi-17 V5 helicopters were pressed into service, conducting multiple sorties over the affected zone. By late Friday, approximately 62,500 litres of water had been dropped on the fire. Officials confirmed that around 10 hectares of forest cover had been lost to the blaze. Dense smoke drifting across the hill town reduced visibility and added to the difficulty of both aerial and ground-level firefighting.

Uttarakhand Counts Its Dead

Uttarakhand has had it worse in terms of scale. This fire season, the hill state has now logged more than 388 separate forest fire incidents — a number that tells only part of the story. Three people have lost their lives in fire-related incidents across the state, and over 340 hectares of forest land have been reduced to ash.

In Uttarkashi district, fires spreading through the Badethi area crept dangerously close to the Gangotri highway — a key pilgrim and transport route. Thick smoke forced authorities to evacuate around 70 passengers stranded inside a guest house near the highway. Chamoli district's Adibadri area saw fires jump into agricultural fields and edge toward villages. A school in Kalsi was also caught in the fire's path.

Police in Pauri district have arrested two individuals on suspicion of deliberately setting forest areas alight — a grim reminder that human negligence and arson continue to feed many of these blazes.

Fourth Day of Fire in J&K

In Jammu and Kashmir, fires in the Udhampur and Ramban districts entered their fourth consecutive day Friday, with no immediate sign of letting up. Several compartments of the Ramnagar Forest Division have been affected. Nearby villages reported scenes of panic as residents watched the treeline burn closer.

Authorities pointed to strong, erratic winds as the chief factor driving the rapid spread — the same condition making containment so difficult across the region.

Terrain Complicates Relief

Across all three affected areas, firefighting teams are running into the same stubborn obstacle: the terrain. Steep slopes, narrow forest tracks and the near-absence of accessible roads in many affected zones have slowed both water deployment and the movement of personnel. In several locations, local villagers have joined forest department staff in forming human chains and cutting firebreaks — often the only practical option when machinery cannot reach.

Officials warned that conditions remain volatile. High temperatures, weeks of below-normal rainfall and dry westerly winds have left forest floors across the Himalayan belt like tinder. Meteorological data from this season suggests the fire risk window has extended further into the year than usual.

What Comes Next

With the IAF now operationally involved in Himachal and ground teams stretched thin in Uttarakhand and J&K, officials say the immediate priority is containing existing blazes before rising daytime temperatures allow them to spread further. Authorities are also monitoring several other vulnerable forest zones across the region that have not yet caught fire but remain at high risk.

For communities living at the forest edge — farmers, seasonal workers, pilgrims — the coming days will be anxious ones.

Three coaches of the Ujjaini Express derailed at Rishikesh’s Yog Nagari railway station late Monday night during a routine shunting operation, triggering panic in the area but fortunately causing no injuries as the train was empty at the time.

According to railway officials, the incident occurred when the engine collided with a buffer stop (dead-end) at the end of the shunting line, leading to excessive pressure on the train coaches. As a result, one coach came completely off the tracks, while another reportedly bent from the middle due to the impact. The incident involved the train being shifted from the platform to a nearby shunting line for its scheduled departure the next morning.

How the derailment happened

The Ujjaini Express had arrived at Yog Nagari Rishikesh railway station on Monday evening at around 6:00 PM. It was scheduled to depart the next morning at approximately 6:15 AM. As part of standard procedure, the train was being moved to a shunting line at around 9:42 PM.

During this movement, the engine reportedly hit the buffer stop at the end of the track. The sudden impact created a powerful jerk across the rake, resulting in derailment of three coaches. Railway sources confirmed that the train was empty at the time, preventing any casualties.

Panic in nearby area after loud noise

Residents living near the railway yard reported hearing a loud crash-like sound at the time of the incident. The noise was strong enough to draw people out of their homes and shops. Visuals from the site showed one coach tilted off the tracks and another visibly damaged from the middle section. The derailment created temporary chaos near the station area, prompting railway staff and police to rush to the location.

Traffic disruption and emergency response

The incident also impacted local movement, with the nearby railway crossing at Raiwala remaining closed for nearly 40 minutes. This caused traffic disruption for commuters in Raiwala, Khadgaon, Gohri Mafi and nearby cantonment areas, affecting an estimated population of around 40,000 people. Railway engineering teams, RPF personnel, and police immediately reached the spot. Rescue equipment was mobilised to clear the tracks and remove the damaged coaches. Repair and restoration work continued late into the night. Officials said efforts were underway to restore normal operations, though the exact departure schedule of the train remained uncertain.

Railway statement and investigation

A senior official from the Moradabad railway division confirmed that the train had no passengers on board at the time of the incident and that it was being moved only for yard operations. The official stated that a technical investigation has been initiated to determine the exact cause of the accident, including whether it was due to mechanical failure, excessive force during shunting, or human error. Local police also confirmed that no casualties were reported.

About Ujjaini Express

The Ujjaini Express is an important train connecting Indore in Madhya Pradesh with Haridwar, Yog Nagari Rishikesh, and Dehradun in Uttarakhand. It operates twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, and is widely used by pilgrims and tourists travelling to Uttarakhand’s spiritual destinations.