Highways closed due to heavy rains, hundreds grounded in Himachal Pradesh

SHIMLA: On Monday, most of the roads in the interiors of Himachal Pradesh were closed to traffic after heavy overnight rains. National Highway-21 Chandigarh-Manali has been closed for vehicles. Similarly, Chandigarh-Shimla National Highway-5 was closed.

Movement of the vehicles in Kinnaur district because a large stretch of the Hindustan-Tibet Road has been under landslides at several points. Five persons were buried under a landslide in Kandaghat, Solan district.

“The road network in the higher reaches of Kinnaur, Shimla, Chamba, Mandi, Kullu and Sirmaur districts was the worst affected and efforts were being made to reopen it,” said an official.

All the schools and educational institute’s in Shimla and Mandi districts have been closed. Moderate to heavy showers have occurred in most parts of the state since Sunday, according to the Met office. Highest rainfall in the state at 235mm in Nehru town in Mandi district. Heavy rainfall across the state till Tuesday predicts the weather office.