Stuck in snow, 50 rescued from Himachal's Chopal

Bhanu P Lohumi

Shimla, February 26

Intense cold conditions revived in Himachal as higher reaches, Shimla and adjoining Kufri and Fagu, received another spell of moderate snow while widespread rain occurred in mid and lower hills today.

Shimla donned a white mantle as intermittent snow and sleet continued but it did not last long. The sky was heavily overcast and thick fog engulfed the city, reducing visibility and disrupting vehicular traffic.

The Chopal police rescued 40-50 persons stranded in three buses and several vehicles due to snow. The Theog-Chopal road was blocked near Khirki while the Theog-Narkanda road was blocked near Narkanda and efforts were afoot to clear the roads.

The Shimla police have advised commuters to take caution while driving as a large number of roads are slippery. Dense fog engulfed the region and icy winds lashed mid and high hills. Bharmour received 12 cm of snow, Kufri and Khadrala 8 cm, Kalpa 6 cm, Shimla 4 cm, Manali 2 cm and Sangla and Dalhousie 1 cm each.

As many as 271 roads (143 in Lahaul and Spiti, 43 in Shimla, 36 in Chamba, 24 in Kullu, 17 in Mandi, seven in Kinnaur and one in Solan district), were blocked while 22 transformers were hit and nine water supply schemes were disrupted.

Chowari was the wettest with 26 mm of rain, followed by Nagrota Surian, Ghamroor and Kheri 15 mm each, Dharamsala 14 mm, Chamba 13 mm, Dehra Gopipur and Guler 12 mm each, Hamirpur 11 mm, Bhuntar and Kotkhai 10 mm, Bhoranj, Shimla and Manali 9 mm each and Banjar, Salooni, Una, Janjehli and Pandoh 8 mm.

Keylong and Kalpa in Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur districts recorded a low of minus 6.3 degree and minus 3 degree Celsius while Kufri and Dalhousie shivered at minus 0.4 degree each, followed by Manali 0.4 degree and Shimla 2.6 degree C.