Nine pilgrims stranded in snowbound Kinnuar district are to be airlifted to Kaza in Lahaul & Spiti district today after a gap of six days, as all roads linking Kinnuar and Lahaul & Spiti districts are currently snowbound.
Deputy Commissioner of Kinnuar J.M. Pathania told that a helicopter would airlift the nine people from Reckong-Peo to Rampur, which would again pick up 30 stranded people from Rampur to Shimla. The chopper would further operate between Shimla to Bhuntar and all stranded people would be taken to Kaza in the chopper. He said that now only nine people had left at Reckong-Peo in Kinnaur as 12 others had either returned back to Rampur or Shimla after taking bus and light vehicles. He said that vehicular traffic to Kinnuar district was restored partly yesterday, as buses were being plying on transshipment basis between Shimla to Karchham. Where about one kilometer landslide was still on the road near Karchham but district administration was also running buses from other side between Pawari near Reckong Peo to Relly, where bus passengers were being shifted in connecting buses to lead them for further stations.
HRTC official told that buses were being plying between Shimla to Karchham (Kinnuar district) from Wednesday morning onwards via Mashobra-Basantpur while Hindustan Tibet NH – 22 is still snowbound between Theog and Narkanda and no buses were running to Theog from Shimla. People living in Matiyana, Narkanda, Gumma, Jubbal, Kotkhai and Kotgarh were still in quandary, as no bus services is on the road after passing six days till Wednesday. People are also complaining that they could not contact to their relatives as mobile phones are not working as there power supply is not yet resumed.
Three patients were admitted at IGMC with snow injuries. The snow injury cases had risen up to 25, but later came down as most of footpaths and internal roads in Shimla town were cleared by the M.C. Shimla. Vehicular traffic to Manali from Chandigarh could not be restored effectively as buses were plying up to Patlikuhl but light vehicles were on the road upto Manali where there is more than one feet thick snow.
