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Himachal Police rescue 35 in 7 vehicles stranded at Chanshal after snowstorm
State govt issues advisory urging tourists to avoid high-altitude areas as snow on roads has made several stretches slippery, rendering driving dangerous.
Himachal Pradesh Police rescued 35 occupants of seven vehicles from Chanshal Valley in the Dodra Kwar tehsil of Shimla district after a snowstorm on Monday.
The rescue was initiatied on the Larot-Chanshal-Dodra Kwar road after the passengers were caught in a snowstorm on Chanshal Top in the morning. The police eventually brought them back to safety at Larot along with the vehicles at 9.30pm on Monday.
Besides the upper reaches of Shimla district, there was intermittent snowfall in Lahaul-Spiti, Rohtang, Baralacha and Kunjam Dara as well as Gondla and Sissu from Monday morning till late at night.
Due to the snowfall, traffic had to be diverted at Narkanda in Shimla late on Monday. Due to the slippery stretch, traffic was diverted via Sunni. The Kufri-Fagu-Lafughati road was slippery too and sand spreading work was in progress. The road to Chanshal is closed, too.
Due to the snowfall, only 4x4 vehicles are being allowed from Manali to Lahaul-Spiti through Atal Tunnel.
The government has advised tourists to avoid high-altitude areas as snow on roads has made several stretches slippery, rendering driving dangerous.
The mercury dropped by four to seven degrees in Himachal Pradesh as icy winds swept the region, with a pale sun failing to provide much warmth after several days of unusually high temperatures, the weather office said.
A yellow warning has been issued for dense fog at isolated places in Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra and Mandi districts on Tuesday and Wednesday. Dry weather is expected across the state till January 10 when a fresh western disturbance is forecast.
