More than 220 tourists stuck after cloudburst in India

Bus rides on a rainy flooded street in Mumbai. Photo: DNA India. Sketched by the Pan Pacific Agency.

NEW DELHI, Jul 30, 2021, India Today. As many as 221 tourists are still stranded in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul-Spiti following a cloudburst and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall, according to official data released on Friday, India Today reported.

Of the total, 191 are local tourists from Himachal Pradesh and 30 others are from Punjab, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Delhi, Odisha.

The district administration has said all have been moved to safe places. Officials said, subject to weather conditions, people will be transported from Udaipur to Sissu Helipad in Lahaul by helicopter on a priority basis. They will then be transported to Manali via Atal Tunnel, the official added.

Deputy Commissioner Neeraj Kumar earlier sought helicopter support from the Himachal Pradesh government for their evacuation, a district spokesperson said. Sorties with a state government helicopter have also been planned due to weather conditions.

Their evacuation through road seems difficult as the route via Pangi is not expected to be ready by Friday evening, State Disaster Management Director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta said earlier.

Several roads and bridges have been damaged in the district due to bad weather.

Sood said the number of people stranded at Jhalwan and Udaipur villages is yet to be known and the road was damaged at several places between Kirting and Thirot.

Telephone network was not working properly, Sood said.

When contacted, Lahaul-Spiti Deputy Commissioner Neeraj Kumar said those stranded have taken shelter at a temple and are getting adequate food.

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