Hundreds of tourist vehicles stranded at Atal tunnel

MANALI: Hundreds of vehicles carrying over a thousand tourists have been stranded at both south and north portals of Atal tunnel following snowfall which made road slippery on Thursday.

Thousands of tourists crossed the Atal tunnel to see snow and snowfall on Thursday. As the snow started accumulating on the road surface, vehicles started skidding and it became very difficult to drive by late evening. While some people, mostly local taxi drivers, managed to negotiate through the steep curves between the tunnel and Dhundi nullah, hundreds of other vehicles got stuck when many vehicles skid on the road and jammed it.

Although the administration stopped traffic towards Atal tunnel, it was already too late. Lahaul- Spiti police started sending vehicles from Lahaul towards Manali. However, they could not move ahead due to traffic congestion at south portal of the tunnel where cops were trying to send vehicles one by one to prevent them from colliding with each other.




At 8:45pm, Lahaul-Spiti SP Manav Verma informed: “Nearly 100 vehicles that had stranded at north portal of tunnel due to snowfall and traffic congestion at south portal have been sent towards south portal. SHO Keylong is monitoring the safe traffic movement. The tourists are also being guided about how to drive on snow.”

Manali SDM Surender Thakur said nearly 250 vehicles were stuck between the tunnel and Dhundi nullah by 9pm.

“Nearly 40 four-wheel-drive vehicles from Manali have been sent towards the tunnel for help. Manali DSP and tehsildar are monitoring the situation on the spot. All vehicles will be evacuated in some time,” he said.

It was snowing continuously in the area while filing this news. All vehicles were expected to be evacuated by midnight.

The Atal tunnel has become the main tourist attraction of Manali which is being visited by thousands of people. Being situated at 10,000ft, it has also become a popular snow point where the possibility of watching snow and snowfall remains very high.

While the Atal tunnel has been projected as the most modern and safest traffic tunnel in the country, the road leading to the tunnel from Manali side becomes most dangerous even after an inch of snowfall. Nearly 3km road from Dhundi nullah to the tunnel is very steep with hairpin bends where vehicles start skidding. Vehicles fail to negotiate through even a thin layer of snow
and ice. Tourists, who are not familiar with snow-driving, are terrified when vehicles go out of control and start skidding in any direction with gravity.

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