Fatal Incident in Pandoh as Storm Clears, but Major Travel Disruptions Persist Across the State

Car damaged due to falling of stone in Mandi. -DT Photo

Shimla, December 30: Despite clear skies across most parts of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday after recent snowfall, significant challenges continue to plague the state. While three national highways have reopened, 340 roads remain blocked, leaving residents and travelers stranded. Additionally, 118 transformers are still non-operational, leaving many areas without power.

A tragic accident occurred near 4 Mile in Pandoh, Mandi, when a stone fell from a hill and struck a moving car. The impact led to the death of one passenger and left two others injured. The deceased was identified as Priya Yadav, a 30-year-old woman from Mumbai. Her husband, Chanchal Yadav (32), and the taxi driver, Shiv Kumar (from Karnal, Haryana), sustained injuries. The couple was returning to Mumbai after a visit to Manali. The driver has been referred to PGI Chandigarh for further treatment.

While the weather has cleared, many areas of the state remain in darkness due to the failure of hundreds of transformers. Hundreds of tourists are still stranded in areas like Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Shimla, and Chamba. Although National Highway-5 in Narkanda has been cleared for vehicles, the Atal Tunnel Rohtang and Jalori Pass are still blocked, hindering travel. Vehicles can now travel one-way from Manali to Jispa, and snow removal machines have been deployed at key points such as the North Portal of the Atal Tunnel and Sissu. However, vehicle movement on NH-3 between Manali and Keylong remains halted.

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The weather in the region continues to experience cold temperatures, with areas like Tabo at -12.3°C and Kalpa at -3.4°C recording some of the lowest readings. Snowfall continues in the higher-altitude regions, with Rohtang Pass receiving around 180 cm of snow. Other affected areas include Koksar, Udaipur, Darcha, Jispa, and Sissu, which also saw significant snowfall.

While the weather has cleared for now, the Meteorological Center Shimla has forecast clear conditions until January 1. However, from January 2, deteriorating weather is expected, with an orange alert for cold waves and a yellow alert for fog issued for the next two days. The situation remains critical, with efforts underway to clear the blocked roads and restore power across the state.