Icy winds kill eight in Himachal
November 20th, 2009 - 7:47 pm ICT by IANS ( Leave a comment )Manali, Nov 20 (IANS) At least eight people were killed Friday as high velocity icy winds lashed Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district, an official said.
Over 75 people were caught in strong icy winds at around 1.30 p.m. after crossing the Rohtang Pass (13,050 feet) on foot, Deputy Commissioner (Kullu) B.M. Nanta told IANS.
“Eight people died on the spot and others managed to escape. They were coming from the Lahaul valley (in Lahaul and Spiti district),” he said.
Most of the victims were migratory labourers from Bihar and Jharkhand.
“They were advised against crossing the Rohtang Pass, but they went against the warning,” the official said.
A total of 67 labourers have been now taken to Marhi, some 35 km from Manali, and the administration is providing them treatment and warm clothes, officials said.
The Rohtang Pass has been closed to traffic since Nov 9 due to heavy snowfall.
- Nine bodies recovered from snow-bound Rohtang Pass (Lead) - Nov 21, 2009
- Search underway for bodies buried in snow in Himachal - Nov 21, 2009
- Eight killed as strong winds lash snow-bound Rohtang Pass (Lead) - Nov 20, 2009
- Four more bodies retrieved from snow-bound Rohtang Pass - Nov 25, 2009
- Rohtang tragedy: Nine bodies brought to base camp (Second Lead) - Nov 21, 2009
- Mercury dips, Himachal lakes begin to freeze - Nov 12, 2011
- Rohtang tragedy: Retrieved bodies reach Manali - Nov 22, 2009
- Snowfall ahead, BRO stops operations on Rohtang Pass - Nov 15, 2010
- Hundreds stranded near Rohtang Pass - Jun 30, 2011
- Rohtang Pass re-opened for traffic - Dec 03, 2009
- Tight security ahead of Gandhi's visit - Jun 25, 2010
- Eight killed in snowfall in Himachal - Nov 21, 2009
- Stuck since December, they await Himalayan road's reopening - May 24, 2011
- Himachal shivers, Shimla has season's coldest night - Jan 06, 2012
- Snow in Manali hills, tourists happy on 11.11.11 - Nov 11, 2011
Tags: bihar, deputy commissioner, heavy snowfall, high velocity, kullu district, labourers, lahaul and spiti district, lahaul valley, manali, nanta, rohtang pass, spiti, traffic, warm clothes