Heavy snowfall traps tourists, 500 vehicles STRANDED in Himachal Pradesh

On Tuesday, authorities reported the successful rescue of five tourists from Delhi who were trapped in heavy snowfall in Lahaul and Spiti. Over 500 vehicles stranded between Atal Tunnel Rohtang and Dhundi in Himachal Pradesh were also moved to safer locations, according to local police.
Heavy snowfall on Monday caused vehicles to skid on the roads, prompting a rescue operation overseen by Kullu district police. As temperatures dropped significantly, Deputy Superintendent of Police K D Sharma advised commuters to avoid applying brakes and to drive at a slow pace in first gear to prevent further skidding.
The Lahaul and Spiti Police conducted a rescue operation on Monday evening, saving the five Delhi tourists whose SUV was trapped in Kaumik near Kaza. With assistance from Taxi Union Kaza, police arranged accommodations for the rescued individuals. The tourists had contacted the 112 helpline seeking help, officials reported.
Heavy snowfall also led to the closure of 14 roads, including two national highways, in Himachal Pradesh, according to an official statement on Monday. The affected roads include stretches between the North portal of Atal Tunnel to Darcha (National Highway 3), Darcha to Shinkula to Zanksar, Koksar to Losar (National Highway 5), and Tandi to Kadhu Nullah. The closures are split across Lahaul and Spiti district, Kullu, and other parts of the state.
The weather department noted that Gondla and Keylong received 9.2 and 4 cm of snowfall, respectively, while Lahaul Spiti and some other locations saw 5 to 10 cm of snow, rendering the roads slippery.