Manali witnessed widespread disruption after an intense spell of snowfall brought traffic to a grinding halt on Friday, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded for hours along the Patlikul-Manali stretch.
In several areas, snowfall exceeded two feet, turning roads into icy traps and making vehicular movement nearly impossible, particularly on steep gradients.
Officials said the worst congestion was reported at multiple choke points, including the police station area, Volvo stand, Rangri, Tibetan School, Aloo Ground and 17 Mile.
Vehicles skidded uncontrollably on snow-laden roads, leading to minor collisions and damage. Tourist vehicles piled up across narrow stretches, compounding the chaos.
Ironically, despite peak winter conditions, hotels in Manali recorded relatively low occupancy of around 55-60 per cent, as a large number of visitors remained stuck on approach roads and could not reach the town.
The district administration remained on high alert throughout the night. Relief teams were deployed continuously to assist stranded tourists, distributing food and drinking water at vulnerable points.
Manali SDM Raman Kumar Sharma supervised relief and traffic management efforts on the ground, appealing to tourists to stay calm and cooperate with authorities.
By Saturday morning, operations were intensified. Snow clearance began in earnest on the national highway, the left-bank road and most internal roads within Manali town, which were largely restored.
Officials expressed hope that traffic would normalise soon, allowing stranded tourists to move ahead safely.
Amid the disruption, a tragic incident was reported on Friday when an ambulance carrying a heart patient remained stuck in a traffic jam near Rangri for nearly four hours.
The patient, Sushil Kumar of Dehan village in Una district, was being referred from Manali to Mandi but succumbed en route due to the prolonged delay.
Snowfall disrupted power and water supply in several areas. Authorities ordered the closure of all educational institutions on January 24 in the Banjar & Manali sub-divisions.
Meanwhile, 12 tourists stranded amid heavy snowfall in the Raghupurgarh-Sojha area of Banjar subdivision were safely rescued following the swift intervention of local residents.
Braving harsh weather, six locals reached the site and guided the group to safety. The tourists were later escorted towards Sojha and Jibhi, where conditions were relatively safer.
