200 stranded in Kinnuar district of HP

Shimla, Jan 9 (UNI) Over 200 people are stranded in Kinnuar district of Himachal Pradesh due to an avalanche triggered by heavy snowfall in the mid and lower hills of the state and widespread rains in lower areas for the fourth consecutive day today.

Official sources said the people were stranded about five km from Sangla on the Sangla-Karcham road following an avalanche that had whipped off the road in the district.

Efforts are on to resuce those stranded after the district headquarters, Rekong Peo, recorded about 105 cm of snow in about 36 hrs at least 16 years after it recorded over 200 cm snow in 1992.

The district has been cut off from the rest of the state due to heavy snowfall, which has disrupted all communication links, the sources said.

Meanwhile, western disturbance (WD) continues to bring heavy to moderate snowfall in almost all mid and lower hills and widespread rains in the lower parts of the state for the fourth consecutive day today.

Several higher altitude areas including, Saach Pass, Mahalwar Dhar, Rohtang Pass, and Pin, Lahaul, Spiti, Hangrang and Pangi valleys had received over five feet of fresh snowfall during the last few days.

The Met office said Dhundhi, Solang Nullah and Bhang Manali in Kullu district had recorded 81, 65 and 38 cm of snow respectively, while Patiso in Lahaul Spiti received 19 and Keylong 38 cm of snow by 0830 hrs.

Bhanodi in Chamba district was under 60 cm of snow, Manimahesh over 90 cm, while the famous tourist resorts of Narkanda, about 60 km from here, and Kufri, about 16 km from here, had recorded about 60 cm and 20 cm of snow respectively.

Other famous tourist resorts of Manali in Kullu district had recorded over 20 cm of snow since last evening, while reports of snow were also received from another tourist resort at Dalhousie in Chamba district.

The Met office said minimum temperatures in the higher altitude areas have plummeted to minus 15 to minus 25 degrees at several places following which all natural water sources have frozen, affecting power generation.

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