Chandigarh-Manali Highway: Stone And Debris Rain, Tourists Escape By An Inch
Cars hit by stones and debris from the hill
Mandi, March 2 – A rain of stones and debris fell from a hill on the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway between Mandi and Pandoh, hitting two vehicles that were passing by. The good news is that the swift actions of the people inside the two vehicles prevented them from losing any of their lives, although the two cars were destroyed. The odious incident took place on Sunday afternoon, around the Four mile, when the two cars were returning to Delhi from Manali after a tour.
Around 3 p.m. Tuesday, while HR51-CM4413 and DL9C-BH4270 were driving along the highway, stones and debris began falling down the hillside completely shocking the tourists. The eight car occupants — all Delhi residents — responded flexibly and stepped out of the vehicles to flee to safety. Their quick action most likely saved their lives as an intense hail of rocks and debris rained down on the area where the cars had just been.
One of the cars suffered more damage than the other, and debris hit both because of the intense downpour. No one was hurt due to the quick evacuation of passengers, local authorities said. Fortunately for the tourists, though, they ended the scare without further incident.
The highway was fully shut down after the incident while crews cleared the debris. Heavy machinery was brought in shortly after to help remove the rubble. The highway was closed to traffic for a couple of hours. Two hours later, at 5 p.m., the highway was cleared and open for travel.
The incident comes two days after a major rock fall just a short distance from where the latest stone come down, following heavy landslides. The previous landslide blocked the highway for an extended period and was also a major disruption. Travelers are worried whether to take the route because of the alarming threat of falling stones and debris in the area as numerous rockfalls and landslides made the highway dangerous.
The incident was confirmed by Police Post In-Charge of Pandoh, Anil Katoch, who assured people that all passengers were safe in this incident. He said the situation was under control and that efforts would continue to make sure travelers on the highway remain safe. At the same time, Katoch pointed out how much people have become fearful of traveling on this stretch of road due to the frequent rockfalls seen in the region, adding that care should be taken to avoid traveling here.
The authorities are now investigating what caused the stonefall and will presumably determine whether more safety measures, like netting or other preventatives, will be needed to mitigate the threats of landslides and falling debris. For the time being, people travelling this part of highway are advised to be vigil and check the road status before proceeding to travel this high-risk patch of Chandigarh-Manali highway.
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