High-altitude connectivity in Himachal Pradesh was seriously hampered today by an avalanche near the North Portal of the Atal Tunnel. The complete blockage of National Highway-03 (NH-03), which is an essential artery that connects the Manali valley with the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti, was a result of the incident. Sources confirmed that the avalanches struck three sites near the "Snow Gallery" portion of the North Portal. The sudden slide caused enormous mounds of snow and debris to crash down onto that road; all vehicle movements came to a grinding halt.
Stranded Taxis, Only Limited Way Out for Drivers
Several taxis and private cars were caught nearby as the snow began to pile up. According to reports at the site there are multiple taxis left stranded between the portal of the tunnel and Sissu. So far, thankfully, no deaths or injuries have occurred. Witnesses said the convoy’s drivers, at the front of the convoy, were able to get out of vehicles and rush toward safer land just as the snowpack hit the road. "It happened in seconds. Above us, we heard a roar and saw the white wall coming toward us. We left the keys and ran back to the tunnel entrance,” said one of the stranded taxi drivers.
BRO Initiated "War-Footing" Restoration
The BRO has also deployed massive machinery, including snow-cutters and bulldozers, to the North Portal and started the daunting task of cleaning up the debris. But sporadic snow falls and the ongoing threat of secondary avalanches have put the restoration on hold. The Lahaul-Spiti District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has issued Level 3 (Orange) avalanche advisories, which have warned the snowpack remains particularly unstable on steep slopes greater than 3,000 meters.
Diversions of Traffic and Alerts
The Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti police now installed checkpoints to restrict vehicles traveling on to the danger area further:
- Manali Side: All the traffic departing from Solang Nallah toward the South Portal has been limited to basic services and 4x4 only vehicles.
- Lahaul Side: Vehicles traveling towards Manali have been stopped at Sissu and Keylong.
- Safety Recommendations: Neither tourists nor locals are advised to travel beyond their safe zone away from snow-covered mountain faces until it clears.
Meteorological Outlook
The meteorological department has projected light to moderate snowfall in the districts of Chamba, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, and Kinnaur for 24 hours to come. A sharp drop in temperatures that followed heavy snow recent days has left “crusty” layers in the snowpack, substantially increasing the chances of continued sliding. As of evening on Tuesday, the BRO is still operating below sub-zero levels to retrieve the buried vehicles and restore at least one-way traffic for emergency services.
