Two killed as cold wave sweeps across HP, avalanche advisory out
THREAT PERCEPTION Lahaul and Spiti district admn has urged people not to venture near Rohtang tunnel
DHARAMSHALA : Himachal Pradesh continued to shiver under sub-zero temperatures on Wednesday even as two persons died in weather-related incidents in Mandi and Sirmour districts.The district administration of Lahaul and Spiti issued an avalanche advisory, urging people not to venture near Rohtang tunnel.
BURIED IN SNOW
Padam Singh, 32, a resident of Rangcha village near Seraj town of Mandi district, died when an avalanche struck Shettadhar Hill while he was on his way to Shet village. He left home on Monday but when he did not reach his destination, his family started a search and found his body buried in snow on Tuesday. Balichowki tehsildar Hira Nand said his family had been given an immediate relief of ₹10,000.
In another incident, Virender Singh, 40, of Kharoti village in Haripurdhar town of Sirmour district died due to injuries sustained after he slipped on ice. His family said he was returning home from the market when he slipped. He died before help could arrive.
Lahaul and Spiti deputy commissioner KK Saroch said the tunnel is under construction and has been closed after the region received heavy snowfall last week. The tribal district has been cut off from the rest of the state since December 12.
“Though Borders Road Organisation (BRO) has cleared roads in the district for vehicular movement still people are
AT — 13.8 DEGREES CELSIUS, KEYLONG WAS COLDEST PLACE IN HP
advised to exercise caution while driving as the roads may be slippery due to ice,” he said
Shimla meteorological centre director Manmohan Singh said there is a possibility of snow and rains across the state as a fresh western disturbance becomes active on December 19.
The maximum temperatures increased slightly but minimum temperatures were still 1 to 2 degrees below normal.
WATER SCARCITY
The state capital of Shimla recorded a low of 4 degrees and high of 12.4 degrees Celsius.
Pawan Kumar, a resident of Shimla, said: “The entire region is frozen, including water. We are facing water scarcity. We have to heat it up to use it..”
“Roads have become slippery and it’s difficult even to walk on them,” says a Shimla-based fruit vendor Ikram.
Kalpa in Kinnaur recorded a minimum of minus 4.6 degrees, Kufri recorded a low of minus 1.8 degrees. The minimum temperatures in the hill stations of Manali, Dharamshala and Dalhousie were minus 2.8, 2 and 3.1 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Sundernagar and Bhuntar also recorded low temperatures of minus 0.5 and minus 0.4 degree Celsius. Bilaspur was the warmest place in the state with a high of 22 degrees Celsius.
(With ANI inputs)