A pet dog’s persistent howling on the night of June 30 awoke residents of Siyathi village just moments before a landslide and flash flooding devastated the area. The cloudburst-triggered disaster uprooted homes and washed away roads in the Mandi district, causing significant destruction.

According to locals, the dog, which was sleeping on the second floor of a home, began barking frenetically around 1 a.m. Alarmed, its owner Narender investigated and discovered a large crack in the wall with water seeping in. He promptly alerted the villagers, enabling over 60 people from nearly 20 families to evacuate seconds before torrents of mud and debris struck.

While at least 14–15 individuals tragically lost their lives and five were injured, the dog’s timely warning is credited with preventing a far greater loss of life. Rescue operations continue for nearly 27–28 people still unaccounted for after multiple cloudbursts triggered flash floods and landslides across the region.