A large number of commuters, including tourists, were stranded in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district as the Chandigarh-Manali national highway was blocked following flash floods and landslides.
The 70-km Mandi-Pandoh-Kullu stretch has been badly affected, officials said, pointing out that a total of 301 roads are closed in the state following heavy rains, while 140 power transformers are disrupted.
Flash floods were witnessed in Khotinallah near Aut, about 40 km from Mandi town, on the Pandoh-Kullu stretch due to a heavy downpour and the commuters have been stranded since Sunday evening.
The alternative Mandi-Kullu route via Katola, blocked due to landslides, was opened after almost 20 hours and small vehicles are now being diverted through this stretch, said the officials of the Mandi administration.
Meanwhile, the Mandi-Pandoh stretch, which was blocked near 6 Miles after a landslide, has been opened for one-way traffic but the vehicles are moving at a slow pace, the officials said, adding explosives were used to blast heavy boulders blocking roads on this stretch. Vehicles have been halted at Dadaur, Balh, Danotu, Sundernagar, Dehar, Aut, 7 Miles and Bindrabani, as rains have started again and reports of landslides are coming from other places in the district. The stretch from Mandi to Jogindernagar has been blocked for traffic at Magal near Mandi, the officials said.
The commuters have been advised not to move towards Mandi until the road is opened, they added.
Public Works Department Minister Vikramaditya Singh said as many as 301 roads have been blocked due to heavy rains. Out of these roads, 180 would be opened by Monday evening, 15 by Tuesday and the remaining by June 30 depending on the weather conditions,