A young man lost his life after slipping on snow in Balichowki, Mandi while collecting firewood near his home. The victim fell into a ditch due to slippery conditions caused by recent snowfall.
Heavy snowfall has gripped Himachal Pradesh, affecting life across multiple districts. Areas like Kufri, Narkanda, and Dalhousie experienced fresh snowfall on Friday, disrupting road connectivity and essential services. Upper Shimla has been cut off from the capital due to blocked roads, with the Narkanda, Kharapathar, and Khidki pass regions witnessing about a half foot of snow. Traffic along the Atal Tunnel Rohtang has been halted, and over 1,500 vehicles remain stranded between Solanganala and Palchan. Police teams are actively working to rescue tourists stuck in these areas.
In addition to road blockages, the snowfall has caused widespread power outages, with 65 transformers out of service, and disrupted 18 water schemes. The weather has turned colder across the state, with temperatures dipping below zero in many regions.
The weather department had issued warnings of heavy rain and snowfall, which materialized on Friday in districts such as Shimla, Kullu, Kangra, Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Chamba, and Sirmaur. Snowfall was reported in high-altitude areas like Rohtang Pass, Jalori Pass, and the Dhauladhar hills in Dharamshala. Meanwhile, heavy rain was recorded in lower regions, including Kangra, Hamirpur, Mandi, Bilaspur, and Una.
Administrations have advised tourists to exercise caution while visiting high-altitude areas. The administration is working to restore road connectivity via alternative routes like Basantpur, as most roads in Kinnaur remain closed for traffic. However, the layer of snow on roads continues to make vehicle movement risky, with many incidents of slipping reported.
