Day 3: 74 evacuated from Lahaul & Spiti
Among those rescued are 24 foreign nationals, 110 people have been airlifted from the dist in the past two days
As many as 74 people, including 24 foreign nationals, were evacuated from various places in snow-bound Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh on the third day of rescue operation on Thursday.
The foreigners included three Germans, four Danes, two Norwegians, eight Nepalis and one from Bhutan, while the remaining rescued people were Indians from different parts of the country, said Kullu deputy commissioner (DC) Yunus Khan, who is supervising the rescue operation.
The rescue operation was conducted through air and at ground-level, with the help of the army, mountaineering experts, police and locals.
Since Wednesday,110 people have been airlifted from various locations in Lahaul-Spiti district.
As the rescue operation resumed on Thursday morning, the Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters airlifted nine people, including three Germans, from 16,020-foot high Baralacha La pass.
Officials said as many as 35 people, including 10 women and three children, were rescued from Chhota Dara near Kunzum pass on Chandertal trek. While 15 of them were airlifted and 20 were evacuated by road.
In a rescue operation conducted in the wee hours of Thursday, seven people, including two women, were rescued from Gramphu. They were stuck in an Innova car for over five days.
The rescued people were brought to Kullu where they were given first aid, said Khan.
Two woman cyclists from Ukraine were airlifted from Sarchu and have been taken to Leh, officials said adding that the rescue operation till Sarchu from Leh side is complete.
Meanwhile, the rescue operation by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) through the Rohtang tunnel is also on.
Early snowfall in the higher reaches, cloudburst and heavy rains devastated large parts of the state from September 22 to 24. Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti were the worst affected. While heavy snowfall on the Rohtang Pass (13,050 ft) has cut off the Lahaul and Spiti valley, affecting a large number of tourists and hampering the water and electricity supply.
The IAF has deployed three helicopters in the rescue operation.The evacuation operation was coordinated by IAF wing commander SK Ahuja.
Over 1,000 persons were transported to safer places by roads in the last three days. Several roads, including Darcha-Khoksar and Tandi-Thirot, have been cleared of snow by BRO personnel.
Kullu administration has built three helipads at Dhalpur area. The rescued people were provided medical aid at Kullu hospital and camps at Kullu and Manali. Kullu DC said the rescue and search operation will continue on Friday as some people are still believed to be stranded in the valley.
MANALI AGAIN CUT OFF
Tourist town Manali was again cut off from the district headquarters, Kullu, after the national highway-3 on the left bank of Beas river was closed due to landslide. Officials said the work to restore traffic was underway.
OFFICIALS SAID AS MANY AS 35 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 10 WOMEN AND THREE CHILDREN, WERE RESCUED FROM CHHOTA DARA NEAR KUNZUM PASS ON CHANDERTAL TREK