MANALI: Over 300 tourists stranded at the south portal of Atal Tunnel following fresh snowfall were rescued in an operation lasting over six hours. As many as 250 tourist vehicles had reached the Atal Tunnel early on Saturday morning and were sent back by Lahaul-Spiti police as it was snowing heavily in the valley.
Tourists then stopped at the south portal and Dhundi to enjoy snowfall. As the snowfall intensified, Kullu police stopped tourist movement towards the tunnel and restricted it till Palchan village.
With over 15cm snow piling up on roads, vehicles started skidding and many were involved in collisions. Also, as drivers found it difficult to keep vehicles from falling off the edges, it led to road blockade. Police swung into action on Saturday evening after receiving information about tourists being stranded near the tunnel even as the BRO started clearing snow from the road. The rescue operation continued after midnight as tourist vehicles were freed and brought to Manali one by one.
Kullu SP Gaurav Singh said more than 300 stranded tourists were rescued by teams of Manali police station, Atal Tunnel unit and local four-wheel drive vehicles.
“Tourists had crossed the tunnel early in the morning. Weather turned inclement suddenly and it started snowing. As the vehicles were stuck in snow, tourists were stranded. The rescue operation continued till late night amid heavy snowfall,” he said. As many as 82 vehicles of tourists stuck in the snow at night were evacuated on Sunday, he added.
While Lahaul-Spiti administration has made it mandatory for all vehicles to obtain prior permission before entering the valley, Kullu administration on Sunday issued an advisory, urging tourists not to go towards the tunnel for the next few days. “There is a forecast of heavy snowfall in the area. The road is slippery,” Kullu DC Richa Verma said.
This is the first incident of tourists being stranded near the Atal Tunnel after its opening on October 3, 2020.
Earlier tourists used to visit Kothi and Gulaba for snow in January. Similar rescue operations have been launched earlier at Gulaba, Marhi and Rohtang Pass areas. The Solang-Atal Tunnel stretch is very prone to avalanches and the area receives very heavy snow.