Over 1,000 vehicles were stuck near the South Portal of the Atal Tunnel after sudden heavy snowfall hit Manali and the upper reaches of Kullu district, prompting a large-scale rescue and snow clearance operation, officials said.
Heavy snowfall has been impacting traffic at the tunnel since Monday afternoon and snow clearance operations by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) are underway at the South Portal, news agency ANI reported on Tuesday.
"Since yesterday afternoon, there has been heavy snowfall at Atal Tunnel in Manali and the upper reaches of the district, and since yesterday itself, BRO's operation is being enforced at the south portal of the tunnel," Deputy Commissioner of Kullu, Anurag Chand Sharma was quoted as saying.
Manali and surrounding areas were blanketed in fresh snow, covering houses and mountains, while higher reaches across the state also recorded snowfall.
Khadrala in Shimla district received 10.2 cm, Kalpa 6.4 cm, Gondhla and Jot around 3 cm each, and Kukumseri 1.5 cm.
Thunderstorms and lightning were reported in several areas, including Shimla, Kufri, Jubberhatti, Kangra and Sundernagar, with parts of Shimla district also witnessing hailstorms.
According to the IMD, a fresh western disturbance is expected to impact northwest India from the night of March 17, with its effects likely in Himachal Pradesh between March 18 and March 21.
An Orange Alert has been issued for March 18 and 19, warning of hailstorms and thunderstorms in districts including Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Kangra and Sirmaur.
