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Heavy snowfall over the past 48 hours has brought life in Manali to a standstill, with national highways blocked and hundreds of tourists stranded in freezing conditions.
Continuous snow accumulation of nearly one to two feet, along with dangerous black icing on roads, has completely halted traffic movement on key highway stretches. Around 7 to 8 kilometres of the national highway near Manali remains blocked, forcing many tourists to abandon their vehicles and walk long distances through deep snow. Several visitors attempting to reach Manali were forced to trek 10-20 kilometres while carrying luggage, making the journey extremely exhausting, especially for children and elderly passengers. Meanwhile, tourists trying to leave the hill station are also stuck due to massive traffic jams between Manali and Patli-Khol. Several vehicles were stranded for 24 hours, with passengers spending the night inside their cars amid harsh weather conditions and a lack of basic facilities. Bunty, a taxi driver from Chandigarh, said, "I have come here with a traveller. We have been experiencing heavy snowfall for the last 24 hours. The passengers in my vehicle are inside, helpless, without food or drinkable water, as there is nothing here. We have been stuck in this traffic jam since yesterday, and the administration has not sent any JCB or other assistance. The administration should have cleared the roads when it started falling snow." Another tourist, Harpal Singh from Gujarat, shared his ordeal, saying, "I came here yesterday with the family, and we spent our night amid a traffic jam in this car. There is no food or public toilet facilities nearby, and we have moved just 200 meters since yesterday. The administration should do something." Locals have also expressed concern over the situation. Shivbiyas, a resident of the area, said, "The tourists are feeling adverse conditions due to heavy rainfall since last night. They spent the night in their vehicles. Many vehicles are stuck, and people are crying here. The weather department has also given an alert, but the tourists still came. The traffic has been jammed for more than 24 hours now. Many people are experiencing uneasiness due to the temperature." Authorities are yet to fully restore traffic movement as snowfall continues in the region. Rescue and road-clearing operations are expected to intensify once weather conditions improve. (ANI)
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