Janjivan Bureau/ Shimla : About 300 people, including 45 IIT Roorkee students, stranded in various parts of Lahaul and Spiti district are safe, a Himachal Pradesh government official said on Tuesday.
Following snow, the Rohtang Pass and inner roads in the area got blocked due to which about 300 people, including the students who were on a trekking expedition, got stranded, Keylong SDM Amar Negi said.
Negi said two IAF helicopters had been sought from the state government for rescuing the stranded people.
All the people, including the 45 students, who got stuck due to bad weather and snow, are safe, he said.
The stranded people were being provided shelter and food by the district administration.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur would visit Lahaul-Spiti district later in the day to take stock of the situation, he said.
Thakur was undertaking an aerial survey of several rain-hit areas of the state, including those in Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti districts to get firsthand information of the situation, a state spokesperson said.
The Lahaul and Spiti district witnessed about four feet snow till Monday, as a result the Rohtang Pass and several inner roads were blocked, Negi added.
The BRO has cleared about 6-km-long Keylong-Stingri road and work is on to clear the other blocked inner roads.
Apart from truckers and tourists, several personnel of General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) have also been reportedly stranded at various stations in the district, the SDM said, adding that the exact number of stranded people was not clear yet.
Assistance sought from Centre: CM
Meanwhile, CM Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday said an immediate financial assistance of Rs 200 crore had been sought from the Centre for undertaking rescue and relief operations in view of the damage caused by the heavy rain.
He undertook an aerial survey of the affected area in Kullu-Manali. He said following his request to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister, two IAF helicopters had been pressed into service to rescue the stranded people at various locations. He said if need be, a bigger helicopter would be pressed into service.
He said the water supply in Manali would be restored in three days while power would be restored in five days. Road connectivity would be restored within a week, he added.
