In a pulse-pounding rescue mission, local authorities and determined youth volunteers successfully extricated five stranded tourists who had been battling harsh conditions for two days on the Kaza Manali road, 40 km from Losar village in Spiti.
The rescued individuals—Lakshya Garg from Sirsa, Yash Dhingra from Delhi, Ayush Panghal from Delhi, Ansh Bharti from Ranchi, and Anshul Chauhan from Shimla—chose to ignore the advice of locals who tried to dissuade their departure, setting out from Losar for Manali in their Fortuner.
The following day, with the tourists unaccounted for, relatives raised the alarm, prompting District Magistrate Rahul Kumar to initiate a rescue effort. The multi-agency rescue team, consisting of personnel from the local administration, ITBP, BRO, Public Works Department, Forest Department, Police, as well as proactive youth and TAC members from various villages of Spiti, faced challenging conditions.
On December 18, the rescue team managed to reach only three kilometers behind Kunjam Top due to heavy snow causing vehicular obstructions. Regrouping at Losar rest house, the team resumed the operation on Tuesday morning with ten vehicles. By 2:30 pm, the team reached Batal Rest House, where the five tourists were found safe.
The tourists’ vehicle had slipped from the road due to heavy snowfall, leaving them stranded. Faced with deteriorating health conditions during the night of December 17, two of the tourists embarked on foot to Chhadu seeking help. Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain, and they returned exhausted. Subsequently, the decision was made to break into the locked rest house for shelter, where all five were able to weather the night.
This dramatic rescue serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable and perilous nature of winter conditions in higher altitudes. Authorities advise travellers to exercise extreme caution, stay informed about weather forecasts, and adhere to local advisories when venturing into snow-prone regions, emphasizing the potential dangers associated with such environments.
