168 roads shut down as snow and rain batter regions of Himachal Pradesh

Shimla, Mar 30 (PTI) Higher reaches and tribal areas received fresh spell of snow while low and middle hills were lashed by intermittent hail and rains on Saturday as the local MeT office predicted wet spell in Himachal Pradesh till April 4.

A Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus turned turtle near Maling in the Kinnaur district after skidding on Saturday morning in the snow but no casualty was reported, an official said.

Traffic came to a halt at the Atal Tunnel in Rohtang near Manali following heavy snow. Kalpa and Kukumseri received 5 cm of snow followed by Keylong with 3 cm of snow in the past 24 hours.

A total of 168 roads, including three National Highways, were closed for vehicular traffic in the state on Friday night as per the data of the state emergency operation centre. Most of these roads are in a difficult terrain in Lahaul and Spiti, where 159 roads are still to be opened.

Intermittent rains accompanied by lightning and gusty winds were witnessed in the state's capital Shimla and some other places, and hailstorm made commuting difficult in Solan.

The Local MeT office had issued an orange warning of thunderstorms accompanied with lightning, hail, heavy rains and gusty winds (40-50 kmph) at isolated places in seven out of 12 districts in the state on Saturday. PTI