A group of 40-45 students of IIT-Roorkee, five residents of Kolkata and two German trekkers were among 249 persons rescued on Tuesday from the icy heights of Himachal Pradesh in a joint operation by the district administration and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), officials said.
Five stranded tourists from Kolkata were airlifted from the Lahaul side to Bhunter airport in Kullu by an Indian Air Force chopper. All are stated to be medically fit.
More than 300 people are still stuck, sources said.
A majority of the rescued are stranded in Sissu in the Lahaul Valley as landslides triggered by heavy snow damaged the road links to Manali, official sources said.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will start airlifting the stranded people, comprising locals and tourists, believed to be around 300, on Wednesday morning. They will be brought to Manali and Kullu towns.
They have been stranded for the past two-three days at various locations in and around district headquarters Keylong after the onset of heavy snow that hampered road links. All are safe and have been provided accommodation and eatables, officials said.
“Nearly 45 students of IIT-Roorkee were taken to an Army base camp at Sissu from where they were brought to Manali via Rohtang tunnel,” an official told IANS over phone from Manali.
He said most of the stranded people were brought to Keylong, some 121 km from Manali, and from there would be either airlifted by the IAF or brought to Manali by road on Wednesday.
“The priority in airlifting will be given to old, sick and women,” he added.
A government spokesperson here advised tourists not to venture into remote areas of the state as chances of snow were still high. IANS
