Manali, Shimla wrapped in thick blanket of snow; 4 Dead, 223 Roads Shut, Hotel bookings witness major jump

According to officials, at least 223 roads, including three national highways, were closed in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday due to fresh snowfall. The closed roads include the national highways between Attari and Leh, Sanj to Aut in Kullu district, Khab Sangam in Kinnaur district, and Gramphoo in Lahaul and Spiti district, as reported by PTI.

Shimla saw the highest number of road closures, with 145 roads blocked, followed by 25 in Kullu and 20 in Mandi districts. In addition to it, several areas experienced power outages after 356 transformers stopped functioning, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre. Public Works Minister, Vikramaditya Singh stated that the department is prepared for the surge in tourists, with 268 pieces of machinery, including two snow blowers deployed to clear the roads. According to PTI reports, hotel occupancy in Shimla has exceeded 70%, with the snowfall leading to a significant 30% increase in room bookings.

According to the Meteorological Department, more snowfall and rain are expected in parts of the state, particularly in Shimla, starting Friday evening and continuing until Sunday afternoon. While, heavy snowfall is forecasted for Saturday.

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On Monday night, Srinagar’s temperature dropped to minus 6.6 degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam recorded minus 7.8 degrees. The night temperature in Gulmarg was minus 7.4 degrees, and in Qazigund, it was minus 6.2 degrees. Konibal, a small village in the Pampore region, was the coldest spot in the Valley, with temperatures reaching minus 8 degrees.