Traffic movement on the busy Chandigarh-Manali highway came to a grinding halt this afternoon after a massive landslide struck near Four Miles in Mandi district around 3:30 pm.
The incident has led to long queues of stranded vehicles on both sides of the road between Mandi and Kullu, leaving hundreds of commuters stuck for hours.
The landslide, triggered by recent heavy rainfall in the region, brought down a huge amount of debris onto the highway, completely blocking vehicular movement.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has deployed its workforce and heavy machinery to clear the debris. However, officials have indicated that it will take considerable time to fully restore the highway and resume traffic.
This is the second such incident on the same stretch of the highway today. In the morning, another landslide occurred at Diyod, also between Mandi and Kullu.
That blockage caused a major disruption in traffic flow for few hours. Fortunately, the NHAI was able to clear the earlier debris and reopen the road temporarily before the second landslide struck in the afternoon.
Authorities have advised commuters to avoid the route until further notice.
The frequent landslides during the monsoon season continue to pose serious challenges to highway connectivity in Himachal Pradesh.
The authorities are urging drivers to exercise extreme caution and stay updated through official channels for road status.
Further updates will be provided as restoration work progresses.