Chandigarh-Manali highway blocked by enormous landslides

A landslide near Pandoh in Mandi district severely damaged the national highway, leaving numerous vehicles stranded on either side of the affected stretch.

Manali: Traffic on the Chandigarh-Manali national highway between Mandi and Kullu was blocked on Friday following massive landslides in Himachal Pradesh owing to overnight heavy rainfall, police said.

The national highway was badly damaged in the landslide that occurred near Pandoh in Mandi district. Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded on both sides of the affected area.

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The police have stopped vehicular traffic beyond Mandi towards Kullu and from Kullu towards Mandi.

The alternate road link between Mandi and Kullu via Kataula has also been hampered by the massive landslide near Kamad, official said.

The district administrations of Mandi and Kullu have advised visitors to suspend their journey on the Mandi-Kullu route until the restoration of highway. It is expected that the highway will be restored by later in the day.

Even the traffic on the Chandigarh-Shimla national highway was hampered due to landslips near Solan town.

Under the influence of active western disturbance, intense spells of precipitation is likely in Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur districts, an official of the meteorological office told IANS.

A government spokesperson told IANS the Satluj, Beas and Yamuna rivers and their tributaries are in spate in Kinnaur, Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Bilaspur and Sirmaur districts. These rivers enter Punjab and Haryana.