Atal Tunnel travel update: Heavy snowfall strands 1,000+ vehicles in Himachal; 40 tourists rescued from Jalori Pass

Updates coming from Atal Tunnel, one of the country’s engineering marvels, suggest that nearly 1,000 vehicles were stranded on the evening of March 15 after the region suffered a sudden spell of snowfall in the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh. The vehicles are close to the south of Manali and authorities have launched rescue operations. The traffic management operations are also on as tourists and commuters are stuck amid bad weather.

The sudden snowfall

Local reports suggest that the snowfall hit suddenly on Sunday afternoon. The roads soon were covered in a thick blanket of snow around the tunnel. This created a heavy and long jam of several kilometers as vehicles going towards Lahaul and returning to Manali were caught close to the tunnel entrance. Police teams and district authorities managed the situation and guided stranded vehicles back toward safer routes.

As per reports, heavy snow and slippery road conditions led to a disruption of traffic movement. Rescue teams, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) including the local police and administrative officials, helped in clearing the road in the affected zone.

There are several videos shared on X and other social media platforms that shows the videos of jam.

Western Disturbance

The weather disturbance is linked to a Western Disturbance which is a common winter weather system in the western Himalayas. Such systems can still bring sudden snowstorms in March too. Officials reported that around 40–50 tourists were stuck in the Jalori Pass and rescue operations were underway at several locations across the Kullu region. Local police said traffic was being regulated and vehicles were being allowed to move in phases.

What travellers need to know

Avoid unnecessary travel in the mountains due to bad weather
Beware of icy roads in Himalayan regions
Check weather forecasts
Check traffic advisories before going towards high-altitude destinations like Rohtang Pass, Lahaul-Spiti and the Atal Tunnel

More about Atal Tunnel

The Atal Tunnel, the world’s longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet, was inaugurated in October 2020. The 9.02-km tunnel is built beneath the Rohtang Pass and connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti. It has reduced travel distance between the two destinations by about 46 km making the route accessible year-round.