A fresh spell of heavy snow in Himachal Pradesh’s Manali on Monday left several vehicles stuck and tourists stranded in their vehicles for hours between Solang and Atal Tunnel, Rohtang.
According to officials, over 1,000 vehicles were stuck on the Manali-Leh highway in a long traffic jam, prompting police to launch a rescue operation and shift around 700 tourists to safe places.Most of the stranded vehicles were tourist cars, many of which were not equipped for snowy road conditions. The traffic jam extended from Solang Nallah to Atal tunnel, causing a major disruption.
Officials of the district administration along with police were present at the scene to coordinate rescue efforts.
The team worked tirelessly throughout the night to evacuate the vehicles, ensuring the safety of all passengers. Majority of the vehicles were evacuated and transported back to Manali from the Lahaul side on Monday late night.
Meanwhile, the authorities have advised tourists to travel in 4×4 vehicles, which are designed for snowy roads and are equipped with snow chains for better traction.
