Manali-Leh highway in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul-Spiti district blocked after boulders roll down

Manali-Leh highway (Credits: ANI)

New Delhi: The Manali-Leh highway in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul-Spiti district was blocked after boulders came tumbling down the mountainside on Sunday (August 15, 2021), a state disaster management official said.

According to the update received from the Lahaul-Spiti District Emergency Operation Centre (DEOC), boulders came down near Killing Sarai in Lahaul valley, blocking the Manali-Leh national highway-3, said State Disaster Management Director Sudesh Kumar Mokhta.

“A team of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has been deployed by the district administration for clearing the road and the operation is likely to be completed by the evening,” he added. 

Few days back, a massive landslide in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti district had blocked the flow of the Chenab River. The incident took place near Nalda village and no loss of life or property was reported in the incident. 

At that time Sudesh Kumar Mokta had said, "River is blocked and only 10-15 percent water is discharging currently. Villages have been evacuated and a helicopter has been deployed for aerial survey."

Meanwhile, the death toll continues to mount at Kinnaur where a tragic landslide on August 11 led to death and devastation. Three more bodies were recovered from the site of the landslide in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district, taking the death toll to 20 on the fourth day of rescue and search operations on Saturday.

(With Agency inputs)