Himachal Road Disrupted by Flash Flood, 66 Police Officers Stranded

Himachal(The Uttam Hindu): The Pangi-Udhaypur road in Himachal Pradesh was completely blocked on Tuesday evening due to a flash flood. A group of 66 police personnel, including 29 female constables, got stranded on the road while returning from Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s visit to Pangi. According to the Tindi Police Post, the flash flood hit the Jungle Camp Tindi area, where two police buses and three HRTC buses got stuck. All those stranded were safely moved to a secure location overnight. The police buses carried 66 officers, while the HRTC buses only had the drivers and conductors on board.

The flash flood occurred after the glacier melted during the day, causing an increase in the water flow in the nearby stream, leading to a flash flood-like situation. This made it difficult to clear debris and restore the road. By 9:30 AM the following day, the road had not been cleared yet. A team from the Lahaul Spiti Police had been dispatched to the site last evening, and both police and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) teams worked late into the night to restore the road.

The rescue operation was carried out using BRO vehicles to safely evacuate the stranded individuals. They were taken to the Forest Rest House and BRO camp in Tindi for shelter. Once the road is cleared, they will be sent to their destinations. The restoration of the road will also allow government officials and ministers who were in Pangi for the Himachal Day event to return to Shimla.