Heavy rains caused a landslide on a stretch of the Chandigarh-Manali highway in Himachal Pradesh on Monday morning, blocking the road between Mandi and Kullu. Hundreds of commuters were stranded near Aut in Mandi following the incident.
The landslide happened on the Chandigarh-Manali highway near 7 Mile which blocked the highway, causing a heavy traffic jam, news agency ANI reported.
"The administration has said that there is a landslide ahead. I don't have much info, we have been here since 5 am," a tourist from Scotland told ANI, who has been stranded in a traffic jam following a landslide on Chandigarh-Manali highway near 7 Mile.
According to a report by NDTV, no hotel rooms are available there and 200 people are left stranded due to the situation in Himachal.
The visuals from ANI showed an operation is underway to clear landslide debris on Chandigarh-Manali highway near 7 Mile in Mandi.
Heavy rains lashed parts of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, June 26, triggering incessant landslides, blocking a number of roads.
In Himachal Pradesh, the rains caused landslides and blocked roads in several districts, including Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Chamba and Lahaul-Spiti. The rains also caused flooding in some areas, and several people were evacuated to safety.
The traffic on the highway was diverted via Mandi-Kataula-Kullu road. However, the diversion caused a heavy traffic jam, as hundreds of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the landslide spot.
The NHAI said that it is working to clear the debris and boulders from the road as soon as possible. The traffic on the highway is expected to be restored by evening.
Meanwhile on Sunday, flash floods triggered by a cloudburst in Solan and heavy rain in Shimla, Mandi and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday flooded houses, washed away livestock and damaged crops and parked vehicles.
As rain battered the state in the past 24 hours, several trees fell on the road, blocking vehicle movement on 126 roads in the state, including two national highways, the state emergency operation centre said.
The power supply got disrupted as 141 transformers across the state suffered damages, the emergency centre said.
About 35 goats were washed away following a cloudburst at Mahaal Mangal Kathpol in the Arki subdivision of Solan district on Sunday morning, it added.
“A bus of students of Chamba and many vehicles that were coming back from Parashar got stuck. Facilities have been arranged for their overnight stay as there is no possibility of the road opening tonight,” ANI quoted Mandi Police as saying on Sunday.
The MeT office has cautioned of the possibility of flash floods in Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur, Chamba and Kullu districts and damage to standing crops, fruit plants and young seedlings. It has also issued a yellow warning for heavy rain, thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places on June 26 and thunderstorm coupled with lightning from June 27-29.
The authorities in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have advised people to stay indoors and avoid going out unnecessarily. They have also advised people to be careful and avoid flooded areas.
The rains are expected to continue in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh for the next few days. The authorities have asked people to be prepared for more rains and landslides.