In a heart-stopping moment of instinct and loyalty, a village dog in Siyathi, Mandi district, became an unlikely hero, saving 67 villagers from certain death as a massive landslide hit their homes in the dead of night.
At around 12:30 AM on June 30, as monsoon rains pounded the hillside, the dog—sleeping on the second floor of his owner’s house—began barking frantically and howling non-stop. Sensing something was terribly wrong, Narendra, the dog’s owner, rushed out to discover cracks forming in the walls and water flooding in.
“I didn’t know what was happening, but the dog wouldn’t stop. When I saw the damage, I knew we had to act fast,” said Narendra.
He sprinted door to door, waking his neighbors. Within minutes, 20 families ran for their lives in the darkness, abandoning everything. Mere moments later, a terrifying landslide wiped out most of the village, leaving only a handful of homes visible above the debris.
Now Homeless, But Alive
The survivors have taken refuge at the Naina Devi temple in Triyambala village, while government officials have announced ₹10,000 in relief aid and locals from neighboring villages are pitching in with help.
The emotional toll, however, is heavy. Many are battling depression and health issues following the trauma.
According to the State Disaster Management Authority, 78 lives have already been lost across Himachal Pradesh since the onset of the monsoon on June 20, with Mandi suffering the worst impact. So far, 23 flash floods, 19 cloudbursts, and 16 major landslides have battered the region.
A Four-Legged Guardian Angel
In a state reeling under nature’s fury, one nameless village dog is now being hailed as a guardian angel. His instinctive bark not only warned his human family—but saved an entire village from becoming another grim statistic.
