Tourists In Over 400 Vehicles, Stranded At Himachal’s Atal Tunnel, Rescued

Officials reported on Friday that a huge number of tourists stranded in over 400 vehicles near the south entrance of the Atal Tunnel in Rohtang Pass due to snowfall had been rescued. The vehicles became trapped due to slick circumstances after snowfall at the Manali-Leh highway tunnel and surrounding areas on Thursday.

The vehicles were relocated to their respective destinations after police teams from Keylong and Manali conducted a coordinated rescue operation that took 10-12 hours and ended about 4 a.m. on Friday.

The tourists, on the other hand, were overjoyed to see and enjoy the snow. All vehicles that were hit due to heavy weather have safely crossed the South Portal. Sumit Khimta, Deputy Commissioner, Lahual and Spiti, said food preparations had been arranged for the trapped tourists and locals.

Tourists are encouraged to drive carefully. Ashutosh Garg, Deputy Commissioner, Kullu. Tourists are flocking to Kullu and Manali to celebrate the New Year, and footfall is expected to increase following snowfall.

Too many vehicles on the road have caused frequent traffic jams, yet the occupancy of registered rooms is not proportional to vehicular traffic, and it appears that many tourists are sleeping in unregistered buildings, according to Mukesh Thakur, head of the Manali Hoteliers’ Association.
Snowfall has closed off Dalhousie, Saloni, and Churah portions of Chamba district and Pangi valley from the rest of the state.
Snow was also enjoyed by visitors in Kalpa, Kinnaur’s tribal district, as well as Kufri, Narkanda, and Kukumseri.

The local Met Office has forecast dry weather for December 31, and hoteliers in the state are preparing for the New Year by hosting special dinners, parties, and competitions for tourists.

Kothi received 15 cm of snow, followed by Khadrala, Udaipur and Kalpa 5 cm each cm, Pooh and Sangla 4 cm each, Gondla, Shillaro and Kukumseri 3 cm each.The cold wave is predicted to hit scattered pockets across plains and low hills, according to the forecast. Keylong in tribal Lahaul and Spiti was the coldest locality in the state, with a minimum temperature of minus 6.3 degrees Celsius.

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